Summon Night: A Brony Retelling
by Finalaeon9
Summary: I'm a Brony, proud to be one, and recently I replayed the first Swordcraft Story. Basically, there is a new character that is entered in the tournament alongside Cleru. The two have known each other for three years. Suddenly, things start happening... A red-haired girl, a bratty blonde, just crazy things! The story told from another character's view. His name... is Silver! Few MLP.
1. Chapter 1

**This is a Summon Knight/MLP crossover! For those of you that don't know what the first series is, it's a GBA game that is quite enjoyable. You'll get a slight understanding of it if you read this first chapter, which will tell you some of the specifics. For those of you that DO know about that series, ENJOY!**

**Please read the author's note at the end. If it's not too much trouble anyways. That is where I explain most of the things other ponies don't understand…**

**I do not claim any rights to My Little Pony, or Summon Knight!**

Summon Knight: A Brony Retelling

'Prologue: That Night & The First Day'

I.I.I_ Three Years Ago… _I.I.I

The night was heavy with rain, and lightning struck in the distance. A single woman stood in the doorway of her home, waiting patiently. Beside her was a young boy, clinging to his mother's dress. He looked at her with his blue eyes, and instinctively knew something was wrong.

"Mommy, why are you so sad?" he asked, seeing the worried expression on the woman's face.

"It's nothing son," she answered calmly, smiling at him. "Mommy is just wondering where Daddy is right now."

"Is Daddy okay?" the kid questioned innocently.

The woman looked out into the driving rain, unsure how to answer that question. The boy was too young to understand just how terrible the situation was. She wanted to tell him that he was fine, but she would be lying to him, as well as herself. She was about to tell him that he was working hard to help everyone, when a large man dressed in white and brown came up.

He had a large, shaggy beard, and carried a large tool belt that ran down his legs, supported by two shoulder straps. On his head was a white cap, with a pair of goggles over it. He was leaning heavily on one leg, and was placing pressure on his left shoulder, which was bleeding.

"Shintetsu, he's almost done," the man said weakly. "I tried to buy him as much time as I could. Right now Masters Rondeau and Rumari are holdin' it off."

"…Get inside," the woman instructed, pulling the man by his good arm. When she had gotten him into the house, she walked over to a large, ornamental sword that hung on the wall, and removed it. "Those two alone won't be able to keep that monster at bay. It's my turn to fight."

"Wait Katsumi," the man stopped her. "Ya can't go. What about yer son? His father is already… Do ya really want to throw away yer life like this?"

"…Bron, you know I have to," she answered after a few seconds. "If I have to sacrifice myself to protect everyone, then I will. I know the odds of me returning are next to nothing, so will you do me a favor? Take my son to Amariss, she'll care for him… I'm going to join Claude."

"M-Mommy?" the young boy started, his voice scared.

"…Don't worry sweetie," Katsumi soothed, getting down and hugging her son. "Mommy is going to go find Daddy. Mister Bron here, he is going to take you to a place where you'll make a nice friend, okay?"

The little boy just stared at her, not really understanding. He was only about seven, and didn't understand many things. Eventually, he nodded and hugged the woman. She let a tear fall, knowing how sad he would be soon. She knew that she wouldn't be coming back, not this time. The man named Bron took the kid's hand, and held him at his side while Katsumi sheathed her sword.

"Good-bye Bron, and thanks," she smiled.

"…You, Claude, and Shintetsu are so stubborn sometimes," the man sighed. "If I didn't know better, I'd say you all came from the same mother."

"Guess you'll have to settle with us growing up in the same town," Katsumi joked. "…Take care Bron."

With that, the woman walked out into the biting rain. The boy tried to follow, but the man in yellow held him back. After a few seconds, the darkness outside swallowed up Katsumi. Bron sighed, and looked down at the kid. His eyes were beginning to water, feeling sad for the little fella. The boy would never get to grow up, knowing who his mother and father were.

"C'mon lad," Bron spoke softly. "There are some people I want you to meet. You'll like one of them, as he's about your age."

The boy looked up at him, his blue eyes scared. He nodded slowly, still not sure what just happened. Bron smiled at how innocent he was, and grabbed his hand. The two walked out into the storm, making their way towards a different direction than the woman had selected…

I.I.I _Present Day _I.I.I

The sun began to peek over the horizon, and it shined a faded light through the curtain into a boy's face. He squinted as the light woke him up, squirming in his spot on the floor. The dream from last night returned to his mind, making him frown.

"That's the third time this week," he whispered to himself. "…Mom…"

It's been three years since the boy had lost his mother and father in a terrible storm. Before she left though, she entrusted her son to a man named Bron, who had taken him to a kind woman named Amariss. She has been caring for the boy ever since that night, raising him as though she was his own. In the process, he'd made a friend of her real son, and the two have been at each other's side ever since. The boy smiled as he thought about this, but lost it when the dream claimed his thoughts again.

"Why do I keep seeing that memory?" he thought aloud.

Running a hand through his short, light brown hair, the young boy got off his spot on the floor. Since there was only one bed, the two of them couldn't share it. The boy had decided to take the floor, saying that it would be good for his back. Whether or not that was true, had yet to be seen.

He was dressed in a simple deep green shirt and pants with a leather covering across his chest. Over that, he wore a black trench coat. On his left hand was a similarly colored glove, and on his forehead were a pair of goggles, making him look a bit dorky. His brown hair was parted off to the left, covering that respective part of his headgear. Around his neck were two dog tags, one with his name on it, the other held a cross with a sapphire in the center.

They were all that he had of his parents. His mother had crafted the first one for him, two weeks before that fateful night. The cross had belonged to his father, it was handed to him just a month ago. He was told that it should be his, and that his father would be proud of him. That had made Silver shed more tears than he'd done since he learned about what happened to his parents.

"Hey you two, wake up!" came a feminine voice from downstairs. "I've tried to wake you both at least SEVEN TIMES now! Are you going for a new record?"

"Make up?" asked the other boy in the room, just regaining consciousness himself. "With who?"

This boy had silver hair that spiked out everywhere, with similar blue eyes. He was dressed in a simple blue jacket and pants, with a leather torso covering and a weird forehead protector. He slowly got up and stretched, showing off his slight muscles. He yawned as he groggily rubbed at his eyes.

"Brother, you are SO not a morning person," the brown-haired boy laughed. "Amariss said 'Wake up' not 'Make up.'

"Oh, well I can sleep for a few more minutes," the silver-haired one smiled, rolling back into his bed.

"More like a few more seconds," came Amariss' voice again. "Don't you remember what today is?"

The brown-haired boy remembered, as he was always perfectly awake the moment he opened his eyes. Today was the opening ceremony for a large tournament. Both of the boys were entered, and they were excited to put their skills to the test.

"Ugn, today is…" the silver-haired boy tried to remember.

"Huh, what's that?" came the uneasy voice of the boy's mother. "AGH!"

"Mom!" he cried out, instantly awake.

The two boys rushed down the stairs, praying that it wasn't something really serious. As they reached the last flight of stairs, the silver-haired boy lost his footing, and fell onto the ground floor. The vibrations of his impact shook the whole house.

"Well that's an interesting way to come down the stairs, isn't it?" Amariss joked.

"That's my brother for you," the brown-haired boy laughed.

"I tink my node id bwoken," the other boy said uneasily.

"That looked like it hurt," the woman commented with a caring smile. "Are you alright?"

"I imagine he'll be fine," the younger one replied dismissively. "Master Bron's training was more taxing than that."

Master Bron, the man who had brought the boy to Amariss. After two years of living within this household, the boy had felt it was time to work, like his father. He was slowly learning the ropes, and was getting quite good at his trade, but he wasn't entirely confident in his skills yet. The year he spent under the man had been not as fruitful as he imagined.

"Still, how could my own son forget where the stairs in his house are?" Amariss asked, looking at the silver-haired boy carefully. "Are you trying to make me worry, because it's working!"

"I didn't forget Mom," the boy smiled. "Seriously, I'm fine!"

"I'm not convinced," she said. "Do you know where you are? What's your name?"

"You're kidding right?"

"No, I'm not," Amariss answered sternly. "I'm making sure you're okay! Now tell me your name."

"Okay okay," he gave in. "It's Cleru! As if I could forget!"

"Okay then, what is his name?" she asked, pointing at the other boy.

"He's Silver," Cleru responded calmly. "He's been my best friend for years now."

"Good," Amariss nodded. "Now what is your job?"

"_That fall must've looked worse than it really was,"_ Silver thought to himself with a laugh.

"I work for Craftknight," Cleru answered with a smile. He looked over at his friend. "We both do."

"And just what do you both do for this Craftknight?" the woman asked.

"We're his apprentices," Silver answered for him, feeling the need to take some of the pressure off his friend.

"Are you now?" she asked, looking at him carefully. "Okay then, just what does a Craftknight do?"

"He forges metal into weapons, and sells them off," the brown-haired boy told her casually. "He's teaching both me and Cleru to do the same."

"Yeah, but you're better than me," the silver-haired boy admitted with a laugh.

"Only because I'm always on time," Silver joked, wrapping an arm around his friend playfully. "And the difference in our skills isn't much!"

"Okay you two," Amariss broke in. "Final question Cleru. What is my name?"

"Easy," the boy laughed. "Amariss!"

"What?" she asked in a dead serious tone. "That's not my name!"

"Quit fooling around Mom," Cleru smiled at her.

"…Okay, I'm just kidding," she grinned. "You're fine!"

Silver sighed, happy that strange ordeal was over. During his three years in this house, he'd come to expect unusual things between the mother and boy, but that didn't mean he had to adjust to them. Truthfully, he kind of envied the boy, since he actually knew his mom. Silver had been too young at the time to remember much. In fact, all he really did remember was her back vanishing into the storm on the last night he saw her.

Dismissing those thoughts, Silver went back upstairs and walked over to the dresser. He grabbed the two tickets resting on the shelf, and placed them in his pocket. As he walked back downstairs, he heard his best friend and Amariss talking about the recent earthquakes.

"Hey Cleru," Silver called out to his friend. "C'mon, we've got maybe a few minutes left before the doors in the Central Tower close!"

"Oh right," the silver-haired boy remembered. He grabbed his water scooter by the door and started out. "Bye Mom!"

"That boy," Amariss sighed. "He's always going to be late. Just like his father."

"You know what they say," Silver laughed. "Like father like son! Oh snap! I need to get going myself! Later Amariss!"

"Oh wait," Amariss stopped him, handing the boy a small red pouch with a string attached to it. "Can you please give this to Cleru? It's a good luck charm. The same that his father used to carry with him. He never got hurt with it on. But on the last day, three years ago, he left it behind… Maybe he knew?"

"I'll… I'll make sure he gets it," the brown-haired boy nodded, placing the item within his pocket.

Silver grabbed his own water scooter, and dashed out the door after Cleru. As he made it outside, he saw his friend already moving into the water. No, they didn't live in a water town, it was just the first floor of their city was submerged. Here in Wystern, people lived by the sea, and every year, more of it kept going under. It was theorized that about two inches go under every year.

Wystern, the City of Swords, and capital of the weapons industry. This was the town where most Craftknights learned their trade, training within one of two guilds: the Gold Guild, or the Silver Guild. Both Cleru and Silver were a part of the Silver Guild. The master of their organization was Bron, who had decided to train both of the boys himself. Today was a special day for the younger apprentices of these guilds!

Today was the start of a tournament that would determine who would become Craftlord. That meant they were the best at their trade, and were placed in charge of Wystern. There were seven positions within the Craftlord title: Diamond, Crystal, Iron, Ruby, Amber, Jade, and Sapphire. Each one of them held equal power, beside the Diamond rank. That was reserved for Master Rondeau, who could craft true masterpieces and fight hundreds of foes at one time.

"_Oh snap! I'm getting left behind!"_ Silver thought.

Quickly, the boy caught up with his best friend, who was standing in front of the Central Tower. It was the working place of the Craftlords, and it held two important things. The first was the arena on the first floor. If Silver had studied enough about the tournament, he would have to fight many opponents there, maybe even Cleru. The other important feature of the building was the Labyrinth.

The Labyrinth was a special place for Crafknights and Craftlords alike. Supposedly, there were many crafting materials down there, which were guarded by wild creatures known as Summon Beasts. These things were at one point summoned to protect the main piece of the Labyrinth, but after their masters died, they were stuck here, unable to return to their world.

Their original job was to prevent others from getting down to a certain floor where the Shrine to the Spirit of Swords was held. The Spirit, known as Parista, was offered swords made by one of the Craftlords every month to keep him calm. If Silver remembered correctly, then this month was the one for the Craftlord of Ruby.

Finally, Silver caught up with his friend, who was standing atop the bridge leading to the Central Tower. It towered over them, reaching far into the skies. Of course, neither could see them right now, since there was an entire second floor above them that held the rest of the Wystern population.

"Cleru, Silver, what're you two doin'?" came a heavy voice behind the two friends.

Turning around, they both saw Master Bron coming up to them. He looked at Cleru first, then turned his gaze to Silver. His thick eyebrows made the man look funny, but both boys had learned the hard way that laughing at him was not a good idea.

"Why're ya just standin' there?" Bron questioned them. "Yer both gonna be late!"

"Oh, good morning Master!" Cleru greeted the big man cheerfully.

"We were just on our way to the ceremony, weren't we, Cleru?" Silver reminded his friend.

"Yer cutting' it a little close, ain't ya?" the Guild Master commented.

"That's why I'm trying to get him moving," the brown-haired boy explained.

"Don't worry Silver, we've got time still," Cleru told him dismissively.

"Sounds like something' yer father woulda' said." Bron sighed. "Why don'cha try bein' more like yer mother? Or at least takin' yer friend's advice?"

"What is that supposed to mean?" the silver-haired boy asked, offended.

"He was always runnin' late, and made an excuse fer it each time." the Guild Master explained.

Silver sighed, turning away. Yeah, Cleru was just like his dad… Dad… The brown-haired boy frowned, thinking about that word. Three years ago, his dad vanished too. The boy had grown up without knowing either of his parents. While Cleru had also lost his father on that terrible night three years ago, he could take comfort in the fact that his mother was still around.

"Ey, you listenin' Silver?" came Bron's voice, snapping the boy out of his thoughts.

"E-Excuse me Mater?" he asked.

"I said I'm headin' back to the Silver Guild," the large man sighed. " Come an' find me after the ceremony. And try to not get as empty headed as Cleru, okay?"

"HEY!" the insulted boy shouted.

"Easy, Brother," Silver tried to calm him down. "He's just trying to joke around."

"Hmph!" Cleru pouted.

"C'mon, let's get inside before we're actually late," his friend advised.

"Hey!" Bron called out to them again. "One of you better win the tournament, b'cause I don't work with second-class apprentices!"

"Really filling us with confidence, isn't he?" Cleru whispered to Silver. He looked towards the large, round building that was their Guild. "Man, we've been there so much lately it almost feels like a second home!"

"Yeah," the brown-haired boy agreed. He looked out at the rising sun, and saw it was almost entirely above the horizon. "Crap! C'mon Cleru, we've got little to no time left!"

With that, the two boys took off sprinting towards the large tower that resided in the center of Wystern. They burst through the front doors, and saw a sign that said 'Opening Ceremony, Second Floor". Silver took the lead, and covered the large flight of stairs in no time flat. He saw a man in front of some double doors, just starting to close them.

"Please wait!" he called out, grabbing the man's attention.

"Oh, and who might you be?" the man asked.

"My name is Silver, and coming up behind me is Cleru," the boy huffed, tired now. "We are candidates in the tournament, and are here for the ceremony."

"…You're late," the man eventually said. "But kids will be kids. Show me your tickets, and I'll let you in."

Silver handed him the two slips, and the man stood aside. Cleru came up, and fell to his knees, exhausted. His friend just grabbed him by the arm, and dragged him into the ceremony hall. They took up places near the back of the crowd, and listened to what other contestants were saying.

"Hey, you!" called out a random kid, indicating Cleru. "Who's your Guardian Beast?"

"My what?" the boy asked, confused.

"Bro, surely you're joking?" Silver questioned incredulously. "You know, an assistant in crafting and fighting? Usually they're from another world? Have supernatural powers?"

"Oh right, those!" Cleru laughed, remembering. He turned to the stranger and answered his question. "I don't have one yet."

"Well, everyone will be using a weapon that they made with their Guardian Beast," he warned the duo. "You two will never survive without your own!"

"I think we'll do fi-"

"Welcome to the opening ceremony of the Craftlord tournament!" came the voice of a random Central Tower employee, cutting Cleru off. "Lubert, the Craftlord of Amber… Ureksa, the Craftlord of Jade… And Sakuro, the Craftlord of Sapphire! These three masters have deigned to address you, and it would be wise to heed their words!"

Everyone turned their attention towards the front of the hall, and saw three men standing atop the stage. The one on the left was dressed in a brownish-gold cloak with a deeper shade of it underneath on his color of his clothing looked like puke, ugly to look at, and made you want to puke yourself. His hair was brown, and sleeked back like he had put WAY to much gel in it this morning. He had a very thin mustache that curled outward from right under his nose. It was pencil thin, and looked creepy. He was Lubert, the Craftlord of Amber, and if Silver had done his research right, had many issues.

"Welcome apprentices. Welcome children of the Craftknights who defend the City of Swords," he called out to them.

"Today begins the tournament in which the skills you have learned will be tested," the man on the right end came forwards.

This one was dressed entirely in green, save for a white scarf that hung around his neck, and the black undershirt he had on. The sleeves of his outfit ran past his hands and made him look smaller than he really was. His hair was parted down the middle, and it fell to the bottom of his head. It was deep green at the roots, but about half way down it changed to blonde. This was Master Ureksa, the Craftlord of Jade.

In between these two men was the remaining Craftlord, Sakuro of Sapphire. He wore a blue jacket, similar to Cleru's but much larger, and he had on a white cloak. His blue pants were tucked into his tall, black boots. His brown hair spiked out behind him, save for his bangs, which spiked out to the sides. He wore classes that made him seem just a bit older than he really looked. He stepped forward and continued where his colleagues left off.

"It was three years ago that we lost Shintetsu, our strongest and most respected Craftlord," Sakuro began.

Silver looked over at Cleru, who was staring off into the distance. The boy knew that his friend's father was the said Craftlord, and that spoke plenty about the silver-haired one in front of him. Cleru knew that he had a large weight on his shoulders, being the son of a Craftlord, but Silver knew that his friend could do it! If he couldn't, then it was up to HIM to bring the boy right back up.

"Cleru," Silver started, placing a shoulder on his friend. The boy looked at him, smiled, and turned back towards the front where Sakuro was still talking.

"And Shintetsu's loss was followed by the disappearances of Claude, the candidate for Craftlord of Crystal at the same time, and now Tyram, the current Crystal Craftlord, just a few months ago." Sakuro continued. "We need to find a replacement for these men, to join the other Craftlords of Wystern as the guardians and protectors of Parista, the spirit that dwells within the holy sword."

Now it was Silver's turn to get lost in his thoughts. Claude had been HIS father, and was known for his talents with a drill. Many times the boy had heard of his father's exploits, vanquishing many foes with only a drill and his determination. It moved him to try and emulate his father, and now Silver could say his skills with a drill were good enough to get him started on the right path.

"_Dad…are you watching me right now?"_ the boy thought to himself.

"A position has been prepared for one of the apprentices within this chamber," Sakuro spoke once more, dragging Silver out of his musings. "And we will determine which of you standing before us is worthy of claiming this position."

"Majority of you lack the skills worthy to be an apprentice, let alone a Craftlord," Lubert joined in, his mustache twitching as he spoke. "But each of you possess the gift of youth, and for some, the potential that comes with it. We must harness that potential to protect Wystern. We must do whatever is needed to fortify the City of Swords!"

"I should think a Craftlord would know better than to have such a flawed opinion," one of the contestants called out. He smirked as he continued. "How does he explain all the adults in this city who cannot craft a decent weapon?"

"Someone is full of themselves," Silver whispered to Cleru, who snickered.

The boy that called out wore a white jacket and pants with a blue undershirt, fastened down by gold buttons. On his wrists were a pair of blue gauntlets. He was a blonde with spikey hair, slicked back gently. As he moved, a few strands bounced with him. He had this cocky gleam in his eyes that made Silver uncomfortable.

"I think the next Craftlord should be strong and beautiful, just like me," a girl in front of the duo called out herself.

Silver looked at her and found his breath taken away. Indeed, she was beautiful. She had red hair, tied into a ponytail behind her, save for her bangs with parted to the sides from the center. She wore a purple top with white shoulder protectors, fastened down by a good bow knot around her neck. Her sword was tied around her between her waist and chest. Her skirt was short and looked like it barely covered what it was supposed to. She also wore white boots that came all the way up to her knees. Her purple eyes were stunning, and Silver was almost tempted to try and talk to her.

"_Beautiful and confident,"_ he thought. _"That's a deadly combo right there. If she has the skills to back it up, then she'll probably get far in this tournament."_

"Heh, look at all these worry-warts! I'm guaranteed to win this tournament!" came a scratchy voice from the other side of the hall.

Turning to look at whoever it was, he saw it the voice belonged to a young kid garbed completely in yellow. It was hard to tell what gender they were, but Silver guessed that it was a girl. She had on a bright yellow bandanna, with a yellow shirt that ran past her shorts. The only thing not yellow about her was her skin, hair, shorts, belt, boots, and gloves, which were all a light brown. But her hair was a dark brown, and spiked out from under her bandanna.

"Wow, he has to be the youngest out of everyone here," Cleru commented to his friend.

"What about me?" Silver asked him. "I'm only about ten!"

"Well, you two could be on par with each other for youngest Craftknight then," the silver-haired boy laughed. He looked towards the front and motioned for Silver to do the same. "Hey, it looks like Master Sakuro still has something to say."

"To test your skills and to see which of you is worthy of becoming a Craftlord," Sakuro spoke to the crowd. "You are allowed to fight only with weapons that you have crafted yourself. A battle is won when your opponent yields to you, or when their weapon breaks. We will allow your masters to aid you in the forging of your weapons, as well as a single partner to accompany you into combat, but that is all. Now then, all of you are hereby granted passage into the dungeon of the Central Tower. There you can collect materials with which to craft your weapons. The man that possesses the keys will bring each of you one later on."

"_The Labyrinth, wow this is great!" _Silver thought to himself. _"A great chance to boost my skills with fighting, and get some materials in the process!"_

"There are many dangers in this dungeon, placed there to insure the safety of the great Parista," the Craftlord of Sapphire continued. "There dangers will not be lessened or removed for you. Confront and overcome them on your own. If you cannot defend yourself, you're not worthy of being in this tournament."

Silver could feel the tension in the room rise as Sakuro said this. This meant that they could lose the tournament, even before their first match! That wasn't really a problem for the boy, as he was confident in what he could do. But for many of these people, it was a warning, saying that if you can't handle a few wild summons that one should have no troubles with, then you don't deserve to be a Craftlord.

"As for who you will fight in each round of the tournament," Sakuro kept going. "Your opponent will be announced by the Central Tower before the start of your fight. You will only know who you fight at the last minute, as can happen in the real world… You must always remember the Craftknight's Code: A sword is not Strength. A sword is not Skill, and A sword is not Fellowship… Let the code guide your efforts, and you'll be rewarded. Friendships will be forged in the heat of battle! When your skill is sharpest, and your weapon is deadliest, you will be your own master… I sincerely hope that one of you will become our equal, and join us as a Craftlord. That is all!"

With that, the ceremony ended. Silver and Cleru made their way out of the Central Tower, and slowly walked towards the Silver Guild. They stepped inside, and were promptly greeted with the warmth of the forges, and the smell of heated metal. Though the tournament held onto the younger apprentices, life continued. Work was still work, and every Craftknight still had to make weapons

"Ah, there ya are!" came Bron's voice as the two entered a room that held many forges. "An' yer late, again!"

"I'm sorry Master," Cleru said, bowing. Silver repeated this action, and did not rise until their master placed a hand on their shoulders.

"Yer apology is accepted," he smiled. "Now, let's talk about the tournament, eh? Answer me this. Do the both of ya have the skill an' the confidence to win this tournament?"

"Of course Master!" Cleru grinned. "I'm the son of Shintetsu, the Craftlord of Iron! I'll win this tournament no matter who stands in my way!"

"And I was the son of a Craftlord candidate!" Silver answered as well. "And while I don't think it'll guarantee my victory, I know that I can count on his blood that runs through my body to give me strength and help me forge to the best of my abilities!"

"I admire yer confidence," Bron nodded. He looked at Cleru and continued. "Yer father was a great man, and earned the respect of everyone in Wystern. But ya can't expect to win the tournament just 'cause yer his kin." Now he looked to Silver. "And yer father was a good man too. I can see his son learned that nothin' is given in this world, but earned. You both could go far in this tournament."

"Thank you Master," Silver smiled.

"But I'm gonna be blunt!" the large man cut him off. "Neither of ya have the skill or the brains to win this tournament. Cleru, you don't even have the skill to win yer first battle. Silver, I can see you MAYBE winnin' the first match, but just barely."

"Th-Thank you for your brutal honesty Master," Cleru spoke up. "…I think."

"But ya don't have to worry," Bron continued. "B'cause I'm gonna tell ya how to take this tournament!"

"But, we've never even crafted a weapon on our own," Silver protested, not sure where the man was going.

"Quit yer whining' Silver," the Guild Master stopped him. "I'm gonna give ya a little boost… Just remember that I've got other apprentices in the tournament, an' I'm not gonna play favorites with any of ya."

"Right," Cleru and Silver nodded in unison.

"Good, now the two of ya follow me to my room," the large man instructed, turning around. "I've got something' special for ya!"

The two friends followed the master into his bedroom, where they saw another man at the table. He was garbed in a green jacket and pants, with a hat of the same shade on. He wore a blue cloak that fell to his shins. If Silver remembered his lessons well, that man was a…

"Is that who I think it is, Master?" Cleru asked Bron.

"Tha's right," the large man nodded. "He's a summoner. I brought 'im to Wystern for one purpose, and one only. He's gonna summon the Guardian Beasts that'll become yer partners in battle. An' I've gotta help him get ready."

"Right," Cleru said, turning to look at his friend.

Silver looked at him, and saw his eyes sparkling. The brown-haired boy felt the same way. They were finally getting Guardian Beasts! This was big! The boy began to wonder what his would look like. Would it be male or female? Would it look human or like something completely random? Would they get along with him?

"Why're ya both is surprised? Bron asked, braking into his thoughts. "Did ya think ya would win the tournament all by yerselves?"

"Well, no but," Silver started off. "Have I really earned the right to a Guardian Beast?"

"Do we really deserve to have one?" Cleru asked as well. "We were taught that only skilled Craftknights should have Guardian Beasts."

"The only way yer gonna win this tournament is if ya stop playin' by the rules," Bron advised them. "Take the Guardian Beasts. Yer gonna need 'em. Now do what ya came here to do, Summoner."

"Indeed Bron," the man said, and turned to Cleru. "Tell me child, what do you think of Shintetsu?"

"…I guess," the boy began. "I always hear about the respect my father garnered, but I know next to nothing about him. I'd love to learn about what he did, and who he was. I want to be a person that is as respected and loved as he was."

"…Bron, it seems that Shintetsu's child was raised well," the summoner commented.

"Of course," the Guild Master said matter-of-factly. "He was raised by Amariss!"

"The bonds between parents and their children are very special," the man agreed.

"Yer mother was the best teacher either of ya could've had." Bron explained to the boys when he saw their faces. "She taught ya how to survive an' thrive."

"She was a bit over protective," Cleru admitted quietly. "She rarely scolded us when we were growing up… But we always listened when she did."

"And boy, was she strict!" Silver put in with a laugh.

"Remember that Amariss had to act as a mother and father to both of you," the summoner reminded them. "She had to discipline you as Shintetsu and Claude would've."

"So most mothers don't threaten their children with spankings?" Cleru asked.

"Only the smart ones," Bron laughed. "Now it's time to get yer Guardian Beast!"

'Not quite yet Bron," the summoner stopped him. "I have one last question for Cleru. Boy, did you grow up preferring the strictness of Shintetsu, or the kindness of Amariss?"

"Honestly?" Cleru asked. "I'd have to say Mom's kindness. She kind of made us WANT to do as she asked when she was nice!"

"Heheheh, so true," Silver grinned beside his friend.

"…My questions are finished," the summoner finally said. "Let us begin the ritual. I need something important to you in order to call forth the Guardian Beast that is bonded with you."

"I don't really have anything on me like that," Cleru admitted after a second.

"…I've got something," Silver spoke up, remembering the item he received earlier. He pulled the red pouch out of his pocket and handed it to the silver-haired boy. "Bro, Amariss wanted me to give this to you. She said it was the good luck charm your dad used to carry around."

"…Right, now take hold of the Summonite Gem," the man instructed, handing a gem to Cleru.

"What's a Summonite Gem?" he asked.

"Seriously Cleru, don't you ever pay attention?" Silver sighed. "It's the magical stone used to call forth a Summon Beast."

"That's correct," the summoner nodded. He looked at the silver-haired boy carefully. "Now focus your thoughts and wish for a Guardian Beast to aid you in battle. Concentrate!"

The man turned to the empty space that was most of Bron's room, and raised his hands to the ceiling. A ball of pure energy appeared in a flash in front of them, creating a gust as it pulsed. It was a faded purple, and continually moved about.

"Now I will open the portal into the other world, using the words and methods of the ancients." the summoner explained to them. He looked back at the pulsing energy, and spoke loudly. "Hear me, noble beast! Hear me and submit to my power! And now, shout thy name! The name of the new bond! Thy master shall be…"

"CLERU!" the boy called out.

There was a flash of light, and everyone was blinded. As they regained their sight, they saw a female standing - or actually floating - where the ball of energy had been a few seconds prior. She had pink hair, and wore a skimpy black outfit. It only covered her chest, pelvis, wrists, and shins! On each piece of clothing there was a small collection of pink fur. Around her neck was a ball of the stuff, while around her legs and arms it wrapped around the limbs. She had on this weird neck piece that separated into four longs extensions, two branching out on each side. At the end of each piece, which went all the way down to her feet, was a miniature sword, looped onto the ends.

"Is this Wystern?" she asked, looking around.

"_Wow, she's cute," _Silver thought to himself.

"Cool, who're you?" Cleru asked, walking up to her.

"…Hello, " she said. "It's nice to meet you. Please… be kind to me."

"Huh?" the boy questioned, confused. "I mean uh, sure. No problem!"

"How 'bout that!" Bron exclaimed. "I didn't expect ya to call forth th' same Guardian Beast as yer father!"

"You know her?" Silver asked beside the man.

"Yeah," he grimaced. "Her name is Sugar, and she's… well it's kinda hard to explain."

"You're the child of Shintetsu, aren't you," she asked, looking at Cleru. She squeed when he nodded. "Good, very good."

Without a warning, she leaned in and kissed Cleru. He blushed deeply, and fell onto his butt. Silver laughed, but couldn't keep back the feeling of jealousy he had. No fair! How come HIS Guardian Beast was cute, AND wanted to make out with him?

"W-Whoa!" he stammered, trying to get up. "Wh-What was that for?"

"Heheheh, I think she likes ya!" Bron joked. He turned around and walked out of the room. "Anyways, ya got yer Guardian Beast. Now follow me to the second floor!"

"That was my…my first kiss," Cleru said quietly.

"Are you…upset with me?" Sugar asked sadly, her eyes starting to water up.

"N-No!" the boy stammered, afraid he would make her cry. "I was just caught off-guard. Please, don't cry."

"You… You mean it?" she sniffled.

"Of course," Cleru smiled at her. "I'm not mad or anything. Just, ask next time, okay?"

"N-Next time?" Sugar blushed. She did a small spin and jumped (can she really jump if she's floating?) in the air. "YAY!"

"…Right," the silver-haired boy said, giving her a weird look. He turned to Silver and continued. "I think me and Sugar should follow Master. Catch up with us after you get your Guardian Beast."

"Got'cha Bro," the brown-haired boy grinned, watching as they walked away. Then he turned to the summoner. "So, shall we begin?"

"Yes," the man nodded "Tell me boy, what do you think of your father Claude?"

"…Dad?" Silver whispered, considering the question.

How was he supposed to answer that one? There were so many things he could say, what with all of the things people said about him. Some said he was a great man, even better than Shintetsu at times. Others said that he had so many issues that he couldn't bear the strain, and went mad. There were so many things that could have been said about Claude, and many more became available after his death. Rumors spread like wildfire, and soon he was known as the 'Two-Faced Candidate'. Silver never saw him as that though. No, he only saw what his Master and Amariss had seen and told of him, a good man that fought for what he believed in, and died for it too.

"…I know my dad," Silver started quietly. "I know who he is, what he did, and how he lived. I know everything that those close to him were willing to tell me. Everything I've heard… and what I believe in… I want to be like my dad! If I can live as he did, with friends, family, and a good life to live, then I'll be content!"

"…It seems that Amariss has raised you well, alongside your friend," the summoner smiled. "Next question. What is most important to a Craftknight?"

Yet another tough question to answer. Silver thought about what his father might've said, thinking an answer would present itself within the way he worked. The man had been a good weapons maker, but he had always held a close connection with those around him, as well as the world he lived in. At least, that was what Amariss had told the boy. Silver knew that it was the right thing to say.

"…A consideration for living things," Silver told him, conviction in his eyes. "A Craftknight must take the natural order into account each time he forges a weapon. All of his creations must embrace nature, instead of reject it."

"I see," the summoner nodded. "Although, a Craftknight must be more than a simple tree-hugger. they must also be a fighter, should they not? Otherwise, they could not protect the nature they so love."

"A Craftknight must know how to fight, yes," the boy agreed. "But our profession isn't all about fighting and defeating whatever stands in our way… To take the life of another is never the answer… One day, I intend to craft a weapon that will end all of this fighting! It'll be a tool to protect those close to me, and save the ones that need it! My creations will never take a human life, and that is something I intend to make sure happens!"

"Hmmm…" the man started quietly. "You are a strange one. Tell me boy, what does love mean to you?"

That was a random question! Just what exactly does love have to do with the Craftlord tournament? Oh, right, it's not for that, it's for getting a Guardian Beast. Silver pondered this question. There were many ways to say what love meant. But it varied upon the individual. No two people shared the same beliefs about love. Sure there were common ideas about it, but everyone had their own little notions that made their versions of 'love' different. To Silver, it meant many things. Caring, protecting, and staying true were only a few of his beliefs in love…

"Love is…" Silver began, his mind grasping the one concept that stood apart from the rest. "…Love is, that feeling you get when…when you've found that someone special in your life. It fuels your every action, and gives you strength when in doubt. You know it when you realize that you can't stand to be away from them, not even for a second. It's almost like a disease… But love is so much better than that. I could keep telling you what I think about love, but then you'd be here for another hour at least."

"Heheh, that's a fine answer," the summoner grinned. "Let's begin the ritual. Would you please hand me something of importance to you?"

"…My tags," the boy smiled, removing them from around his neck. "The only things I have left of my parents…"

He held them in his hand, just staring at them. His mother, who made the front one just before she left, and his father, who held the back one up until his last day… He closed his hand, and pressed it along with the tags to his chest. Silver knew they had died doing the right thing, even if Bron and Amariss withheld most of the events of that dreadful night.

Reluctantly, the boy handed his memento to the summoner, and received the small shard of Summonite from him. Once more, the ball of pure energy was created, and Silver could feel his heart beat faster in his chest. Today was the day he'd become a true Craftknight, and receive a Guardian Beast. Today was the day he would make a new friend, a partner, and someone he'd be able to work with until he couldn't work any more! But at the same time, he was nervous. Things would never be the same after today…

"As with Cleru, you must focus your thoughts," the summoner explained. "Wish for your partner with all of your heart… Now then… Hear me, noble beast!" he continued, returning his attention to the energy that cast a faded light around the room. "Hear me and submit to my power! Shout thy name! The name of the new bond! Thy master shall be…"

"SILVER!" the young boy shouted, his confidence returning for a split second.

The light blinded him once more. As it faded, he felt something different touch him. Not physical contact, but spiritually, he felt…stronger, and a bit afraid. He opened his eyes, and gazed upon the one that would be his partner.

The being within the center of the room was small, and it's body was a golden yellow. It had blue eyes, the most shockingly blue that Silver had ever seen. It stood on four legs, or hooves for that matter, had long, pink hair that curtained to the side in the front, and across the body in the back. It also had a tail of the same color, which flowed down almost to the floor. It was a pony! But this one was different from the stereotypical ponies of this world. This creature had wings, of the same golden hue as it's body.

"…Are you… my Guardian Beast?" Silver asked, at a loss for words.

"…" the creature made a very quiet sound and backed away in fear. It's eyes dodged his gaze.

Why was this little one so afraid of him? All he did was ask if they were the one that was to be his partner! He slowly walked over to them, and got down on his knees, so that he was eye level with them. By the looks of the being, Silver guessed that it was a female. He smiled warmly at her, and spoke softly.

"It's alright," he began. The boy slowly extended his hand to her. "I'm Silver. What's your name?"

"…Eep," she squeaked, and backed away once more.

"You're a shy one, aren't you?" Silver commented with a gentle smile. "Don't worry, I don't intend to hurt you or anything. In fact, I'd love to be your friend."

"…" the small pony backed up into the wall, and squeaked out in fear.

"Am I…really that scary?" the boy asked, lowering his eyes. "I'm sorry…"

Silver got up and turned back to the summoner. The man returned the dog tags to him, and walked out of the room. With a sigh, the boy placed the tags around his neck, and stuffed his hands in his pockets. He turned back to the small pony, and gave her a kind smile.

She continued to stare at him from her spot beside the wall. What made him appear so intimidating to her? Maybe he should try a different approach? If this little one was to be his partner, then he had to show her that he meant well, and that they could work together.

Slowly, he walked back over to her, holding his hands out, palms up. She tried to back up once more, but the wall prevented any such action. Finally, Silver stood in front of her, towering over the little one. He crouched down, getting eye level with her once more. He VERY slowly reached out his hand to her. She flinched as it came within an inch of her, but that was it. Silver let his hand rest atop her head, then gently moved to the side, and began to stroke her soft pink mane.

"Please," he began. "There's no need to be afraid of me. If I'm scary, or there's something about the way I look that you don't like, I can change it just a bit. Please, just give me a chance… My name is Silver, what's yours?"

"…Flut…" She trailed off. She had this really soft and kind voice. Silver kind of thought it was adorable.

I'm… sorry?" the boy tilted his head a bit. "I didn't really get all of that."

"Flutter…" she started quietly.

"Um, I'm afraid I didn't really catch it all again," he told her.

"My name…" she tried once more. "Is… Flutter…shy."

"It's Fluttershy?" Silver asked. He continued when she nodded slowly, smiling kindly at her as he spoke. "Well then Fluttershy, it's nice to meet you. I hope the two of us can become good friends."

Silver slowly got to his feet, and stretched his arms. He looked down at Fluttershy, who just kept to her spot against the wall. He sighed once more, and shook his head. His dog tags jingled as he did that, catching the small pony's attention. When she saw the one in the back, she gasped and came up to the boy. She got on her back hooves, and placed her front ones on his chest.

"Is that… Is that the tag of Claude?" she asked, the shyness from before gone.

"Y-yeah," Silver answered, surprised by her sudden change in personality. "It's all I have left of my father…"

"He was your dad?" the small golden pony questioned. Her eyes lit up when he nodded. "Oh, how wonderful!"

"W-Why?" the boy asked, not sure why she had changed so much.

"You see, my mother was your father's Guardian Beast," Fluttershy explained. "About four years ago, our parents made an agreement. Your father promised my mother that his child…you… would forge a bond with one of her children. She promised that it would be her first born child, which was me… When Claude died, my mother gave up hope in trying to find a way for their promises to be kept. She told me that maybe one day I'd find him, but I could just as easily be bonded with another random Craftknight… I'm so glad that we met Silver! Mother always told me about Claude, and always said that his son would be just as kind, and as respectful as he was."

"I uh, thank you," Silver said. "I'll uh, try to be like my father."

The boy and his new Guardian Beast walked out of the room. They took a right, and found themselves at the base of a flight of stairs. Slowly, the began their ascension to where Bron was supposedly waiting for them. They reached the top, and looked around. They stood in what appeared to be a lobby, with six different doors around it. The large man Silver had come to call 'Master' entered the lobby from the first door in front of the stairs, and looked at the two of them.

"Ey, ya finally got yer Guardian Beast!" he exclaimed, making Fluttershy flinch and hide behind the boy's legs. "…Wha's wrong with her? Was it somthin' I said?"

"She's just a shy one," Silver explained, getting on one knee so he could look at his partner. He whispered into her ear so that his next sentence wouldn't be heard by Bron. "Don't worry Fluttershy, Master Bron might seem intimidating, but he's really just a softie. Just don't laugh at him, and there won't be any problems…"

"What're ya whisperin' about?" the large man questioned.

"Oh, nothing," Silver grinned, avoiding the man's gaze. "Just telling her she doesn't have to worry."

"Oh there's plenty o' reason ta worry!" Bron warned with a glint in his eyes. "Yer both gonna hafta fight yer way to the top! But before we get into any details, follow me over here."

He led them to a room in the farthest corner away from the stairs. Bron took out a key, and unlocked the door. The three of them walked into the small corridor on the other side, and approached the opening in the right side of the wall. Upon going through, Silver and Fluttershy found themselves in what looked to be a Craftknight workshop, built for two.

At the back of the room was a large forge. It had the smelter, anvil, and other assorted tools and items needed for crafting weapons. To the left side of the room was a large bed, one that could easily hold two or three people. At the right side of the room was a desk, with a quill, parchment, and other note taking items. There were two rugs about the whole room. One was under the desk, the other was at the foot of the large bed.

"Here ya are," Bron smiled. "Only tournament entrats are allowed into the workshop on the second floor. This'll be yours."

"This…is ours?" Silver asked, stunned. "You're just giving me and Fluttershy this workshop?"

"Yup, I hope ya like it," the large man told them. "B'cause yer gonna be workin' here day an' night from now on."

"…You mean that I'm supposed to live here?" the boy questioned. "This is great!"

"R-Really?" Bron did a double take. "Aww, I had this whole speech planned out for when you rejected it."

"It's okay Master, you can give it anyway," Silver laughed kindly.

"Hmph!" the man huffed. But he didn't argue about it. "If ya wanna be a Cratlord, if ya wanna win the tournament, then ya gotta be willin to go the distance. There ain' no point in complainin' like a spoiled little brat!"

"…This was the speech you intended to give?" the boy thought aloud.

"Let me finish!" Bron told him. "Anyways, Amariss agreed with me, sayin' that ya should live here durin' the tournament. The decision's already been made for ya. But be happy 'bout it! Ya get to follow in yer father's footsteps, like ya wanted to. Be proud!"

"Yes Master!" Silver nodded, a large grin on his face. He liked the sound of that.

"Good," the man nodded. "Now, tomorrow I'll teach ya my secret techniques of weapon-forgin'. I'd start today, but I'm a busy man. I'll let ya know when I'm ready to start yer lessons. Just hang around 'til then."

"Yes Master," Silver told him. The large man walked out of the room, and the boy turned to his partner. "Can you believe this Fluttershy? Our own workshop! It's almost like a dream come true! I wish you had fingers, because then you could pinch me to make sure I'm not dreaming!"

"I'd r-rather n-not…" she stammered.

"Still a bit shy around me eh?" Silver noticed. "How about we go outside, since we won't have anything to do for a bit? There is a place I'd like to show you."

The boy walked out of his new workshop, and waited for his partner to follow. Fluttershy was a bit slow at first, not really sure if they should leave. But once Silver told her that it would be a good amount of time until Bron was ready to teach, she was a bit more willing to follow along.

He led her down to the first flight of stairs, and out the front door of the guild. When she saw the town at first, Fluttershy cringed, and backed into the building. Silver understood why, and quickly walked back in to encourage her. She had seen so many people, and was afraid of how they'd act towards her, as well as the stench about the city. Having grown up in Wystern, he had never smelt it, but then again, that was basically all he had ever smelled. He just stroked her soft mane, and told her that the people wouldn't bother her. They would just go about their business, and leave the two of them alone.

Once Silver finally got her to give the outside world a chance, he led her around the side of the Silver Guild building, and over to a ladder. He slowly climbed up to the roof of the building, with Fluttershy right behind him, using her wings to scale it. The two of them sat on the ledge at the top, just looking out over the town as the sun set.

It cast a golden glow about Wystern, and the sea waves crashing against the shore added a soothing sound to it. Silver sighed in content, and looked over at Fluttershy, who was just staring into the horizon. He smiled, seeing her like that.

"This is my special place," he told her. "I come here when I need to escape the hardships of being a Craftknight, or when I really need to think something through. No one bothers me while I'm here, and it's always so peaceful around this time."

"It's so beautiful up here," she smiled. "I can see why you like this place so much."

"…Recently, I've been visiting this spot more and more," Silver admitted to Fluttershy. "…I've been having these dreams… memories really… about the last night I saw Mom and Dad. Every time, I see my mother go out into the rain, then Bron takes me to Cleru's place, and finally I wake up. I've had them before, yeah, but now these dreams are starting to happen more often."

"…Master Silver?" Fluttershy asked, a concerned look on her face.

"Please, just call me Silver," he smiled at her. "We're partners and friends, not master and servant."

"Um, o-okay," she stammered. "What…What if those dreams mean something? Like maybe that something is going to happen soon?"

"…You might be right Fluttershy," Silver agreed, looking back at the sunset. "But at the same time, I hope you're wrong. I've got this feeling that whatever it is, if something happens it won't be good."

"…"

"…I think I'm going to head back in now Fluttershy," Silver told her, moving for the ladder. "Meet me back in the room when you want."

The brown-haired boy climbed down the ladder, and began his walk back to his new workshop. As he reached the second floor, he remembered that he hadn't talked with Cleru yet. Walking over to his friend's door, Silver knocked and waited for an answer.

"Enter," came Cleru's voice.

"Hey Bro," Silver called as he opened the door. "Just came by to see how you're settling in."

"Ah, Silver!" his friend exclaimed. "Sugar, this is my closest friend, the one I was telling you about."

The brown-haired boy entered the room, and took a look around. This workshop was almost exactly like his, except it was maybe a bit smaller, and it didn't have the hall like his. There was also a blue glowing sword embedded in a pedestal beside the door. Cleru and Sugar were standing by the forge, looking at him.

"So this is the boy that you say is the better Craftknight," she commented, looking him up and down.

"I'm really not that much better," Silver replied modestly. "I can make drills just a bit better than him, but that's it. He has me beat when it comes to swords."

"…I like him," she told Cleru, making the brown-haired boy blush. "If I wasn't engaged to you, I'd be all over him."

"Whoa! What now?" Silver exclaimed. He looked at Cleru, who was looking away. "You and her are getting married! Man, you two work fast!"

"It's not like that!" his friend argued, a blush on his face. "She says that my father promised that his child, me, would marry her!"

"It's true," she giggled beside the boy. "Back when I was his Guardian Beast, and he got married, he promised Master Cleru's hand in marriage."

"That's… different," Silver grinned. "Well, I wish nothing but the best for you two!"

"S-SILVER!" Cleru cried out. "You gotta help me! I'm not ready for marriage yet!"

"Hmph!" Sugar huffed. "I'll have you know that I intended to wait for when you were!"

"Ohhh, ya got her all riled up now!" Silver laughed. "Sorry Bro, but I can't intervene in someone's love life. This is something you have to work out with her, not me."

"Thank you Silver," Sugar smiled at him. "Maybe you can be the best man at our wedding?"

"I'd love to," he nodded with a smile. Then he had a hilarious thought. "And Bron can be the ring-bearer!"

"…Pfft!" Cleru let out, trying to hold back a laugh. "HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

"What's so funny?" Sugar asked. "I don't get it."

"Try picturing Master Bron in a tux, carrying a pillow with two rings on it," the silver-haired boy explained.

"…Hmhmhmhmhm," she chuckled as she thought up the large man in that outfit. "That would be funny!"

The group was interrupted by a knocking at the door. When Silver opened it, they saw it was Fluttershy. She walked in, and looked around. Her eyes rested on Cleru and Sugar, and she backed up into her master. She jumped when she felt him, and he smiled kindly at her. The boy got down on his knees and began to soothe her.

"Who's this?" Cleru asked.

"Oh, this is Fluttershy, my Guardian Beast," Silver explained, looking at his friend. "She's a little timid, but she's really nice too. Go ahead Fluttershy, introduce yourself to them."

Reluctantly, she stepped forward and held out a hoof for Cleru to shake. He looked at her for a second, then smiled. He slowly reached down and shook her hoof. Fluttershy repeated this process with Sugar, then quickly retreated to a spot by Silver.

"I'm… I'm sorry," she apologized to them. "I-I just…"

"Don't worry about it," Cleru smiled at her again. "I understand that it's who you are. Maybe we can be friends after you've gotten a chance to know me and Sugar."

"Yes, it's nice to meet you," Sugar bowed to the pony. "Tell me, what realm do you originate from?"

"I…I come from the realm of Maetropa," Fluttershy answered. "Also called Equestria by…some of us."

"Realms? What?" Cleru asked.

"Bro, you seriously need to pay attention when Master Bron is talking," Silver sighed. "There are four realms in the Spirit World, one for each attributed Summon Creature. There is the realm Silturn, which houses the fire type summons, and the realm of Sapureth, where the water spirits live. There is also Loreilal and Maetropa, the Machina realm and the nature realm respectively."

"Someone studies their textbook constantly," Cleru commented.

"Master told me to pay close attention to that section," the brown-haired boy laughed. "I want to be the best Craftknight I can be, so I need to make sure I'm learning the material as best I can."

"So, you're from Maetropa," the silver-haired boy asked Fluttershy.

"Y-Yes," she stammered. "But, can you please call it Equestria?… That is… If it's not to much trouble…"

"Sure, we can do that," Cleru nodded, smiling at her once more.

"…I think that's enough for one day," Silver yawned a few seconds later. "I think me and Fluttershy will head to our workshop and get some rest. Something tells me tomorrow is going to be eventful."

"Alright then, night," Cleru waved him out. Sugar stood behind him, waving as well. "You're probably right, but I think me and Sugar will go for a walk before then. I could use the fresh air."

Silver and Fluttershy watched as Cleru and his partner walked down the stairs into Wystern. Then the two of them went into their room, and walked up to the bed. He noticed that it would be large enough for both of them, and smiled. Evidently, Bron had set things up like this. Shaking his head, the boy let Fluttershy take the side against the wall, so she wouldn't accidentally roll out of bed. He crawled in after her and rested his head on the pillow. The small pony turned to him and smiled.

"Good night Silver," she whispered.

"Night…partner," he smiled at her.

Fluttershy blushed a bit, and turned around. Silver smiled, and closed his eyes. What an interesting day this had been! He managed to get himself into the Craftlord tournament, got to watch Cleru get a Guardian Beast, got his own right after that, and then Bron handed him the key to a private workshop, completely free of charge! Things were really starting to look up for him! The brown-haired boy sighed in content, and let himself fall asleep…

I.I.I Author's note I.I.I

**What do you think? I plan to run this story just like the game, but following a side character's view. There will be times when the two converge, many actually, but mostly it will be bout Silver and Fluttershy. I won't alter major events in the story though. So for those of you that have played 'Summon Knight: Swordcraft Story', don't worry about major changes happening. I might have Silver take on other character's roles for certain points, but that is it. No actual plot changes.**

**Please review if you liked it! Heck, review if you didn't and tell me how I can improve! I want to get better as much as I possibly can, so whatever you say can get me on my way! Thanks for taking the time out of your busy schedules to read this story!**

**Tory Mills/Silverwing Strong**


	2. Day 2: The First Match

**I will say this… I had fun writing this chapter! You'll understand why when you read it too! Enjoy!**

**I do not claim any rights to My Little Pony, or Summon Knight!**

Summon Knight: A Brony Retelling

'Day 2: The First Match'

Silver slowly opened his eyes, and waited for his vision to sharpen. As he adjusted to the gloom, he realized that he was not on the floor, as he was used to, and that he wasn't even in Amariss' house. He slowly sat up, wondering just where he was. It took a few seconds for the memories of yesterday to come back to him. When they finally did, he grinned and looked over at where his Guardian Beast, Fluttershy, was sleeping.

Instead, what he saw was a young girl, about his age! She was curled up like his partner had been, and was sleeping quietly. She had similar pink hair to the golden pony, and it curtained over part of her face, where it flowed down to about her waist in the front, and knees in the back. She wore a simple yellow dress that went down to about her knees, with a white collar, and red lacing going through it, tied in a small bow just above her chest. But the most startling feature about the girl were the angelic wings that protruded from her back! They extended down to her waist, and were currently closed.

The girl sighed in her sleep, and Silver nearly cried out in surprise. How had she gotten here, in his bed? Where was Fluttershy? Quietly, the boy got up and looked around his workshop for his partner. There wasn't a single shred of evidence that she had even been in the room! Quickly, he dashed into the hall, his trench coat ruffling as he grabbed it.

"S-Silver?" came Fluttershy's soft voice behind him.

The boy dug his heels into the floor, and stopped his running. Turning around, he saw the girl from before standing at the end of his hallway, right outside his workshop. She looked at him with gentle blue eyes that reminded him of Fluttershy. Then something inside Silver had a thought.

"F-Fluttershy?" he asked, trying something.

"Wh-what?" the girl replied, looking around. "Is there something wrong Silver?"

"Is that you?" he questioned, moving closer and looking her up and down.

"Y-Yes," she stammered, confirming Silver's theory that the girl was indeed his Guardian Beast. She blushed and looked away. "I can… change how I look sometimes. I thought you were cold last night… so I… made myself look like this… and kind of…"

Now it was Silver's turn to blush. Basically, Fluttershy was saying that in the middle of the night, she changed into a human-like form, and snuggled up to him to make sure he was warm. Of course, since the boy had no idea she could do that, he just figured that his partner had vanished, and that a random girl had climbed into his bed. Now getting a good look at said girl, he thought she actually looked pretty cute. That thought made him turn a deeper shade of red, and he shook his mind clear of it.

"Well uh, thanks," he said to her. "…I uh, guess we should… go back into the room, and wait for Master Bron."

The boy and his Guardian Beast reentered the workshop. Once they made it to the actual room, Fluttershy took a seat on the bed. Silver just looked at her, thinking about how lucky he could be sometimes. He was really gifted, having such a good friend, and now, he had a Guardian Beast that cared so much about him!

"Hmmm," the boy thought aloud. "Where should I start? Master said he would teach us a new technique before our first tournament match…"

"I'm sure he will," Fluttershy yawned cutely. "He did say he was a busy…"

"Yeah, you're right," Silver nodded. "I guess we'll just wait for him to visit us."

Fluttershy brushed a lock of hair out of her face, and smiled warmly at him. She began to glow white, and soon her entire body was of the same color. The boy's Guardian Beast slowly began to shrink, and her form began to shift about. As the light faded, Silver saw that she had reverted to her original pony form.

"So…you can do that whenever you want?" he asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"Y-Yes," she blushed. "B-but I can only do certain things in other forms."

"Like what?" Silver questioned.

"Well," Fluttershy began. "When in this form, I can fly really far, and my spells are stronger. But when I look like I just did, I'm able to help with your crafting."

"Wait, hold up," he stopped her. "You can cast spells too?"

"S-Sort of," she smiled. "I only know a few, and they don't do much. The others of my kind, they can perform really strong spells. I had this one friend, her name was Twilight Sparkle, and she was the best at all sorts of magic!"

"There are more like you?" Silver asked once again, incredulous.

"Well, not exactly like me," Fluttershy blushed. "We all look different, and some can only do certain things, but we each have a special talent when it comes to certain things. Some of us can't fly, since they don't have wings. Some have horns, and are REALLY good at magic. We call them unicorns, and Twilight is one too. If you don't have either a horn or wings, you're called an earth pony. They're really good at other things, like fighting."

"What is your race called?" the boy inquired.

"My kind are known as pegasi," the pony explained. "We can control weather."

"So, you can fly and have a special connection to nature?" Silver asked.

"Well, kind of," Fluttershy smiled. "Just because we can move clouds, and make rain doesn't mean all of us are close to nature. My friend Rainbow Dash likes to race about. She doesn't like nature as much as some ponies…"

"She probably wouldn't make a good Craftknight then," Silver joked. He looked out the window, and stared at the sunrise. "In our job, we must grasp nature, and imbue it's limitless potential into our work. Only by sharing a deep connection with everything, and treating it with compassion, can we become better, both physically and spiritually."

"…" the golden pegasus continued to look at Silver, her blue eyes piercing him.

"A true Craftknight takes the natural order into account, and embraces it," the boy told her. "We hold it close, and apply it into our crafts. It serves as a reminder to what we stand for. Craftknights do not fight to kill, to win, or anything like that. We fight to protect the ones close to us! At least… that's what I believe. It's what Dad put his beliefs in, and he was a great man! If I do the same, maybe then I can become as great."

"Well ya won't be if ya keep standin' 'round, and talkin'," came a heavy voice from the hall.

The duo turned towards it, and saw Bron standing there. He stepped aside, and a man in orange came forward. It was the guy that had been in front of the ceremony hall in Central Tower! Why was he here? Had Silver done something wrong?

"The folks from Central Tower are here," Bron told him, making the boy sigh. That fact was obvious. "Behave yerself."

"Hello hello," the man greeted. He handed a small packet to the boy, and shook his hand. "Greetings Silver, I have been asked to deliver this to you. It is your Labyrinth Key. If you show this to the guard on the first floor of the Central Tower, you'll be able to enter the Labyrinth. He will be waiting in a side room, where you can find a collection of forges. Now if you'll excuse me, I must be going."

The man turned and left, waving as he went. Silver opened the packet, and pulled out a small key. It looked like any other, besides the fact that it was about three times as thick as a normal one. The boy pulled out a chain that hung on the side of his pants. He strung the metal through the large hole in the key, and fastened it into place. There was no way he could lose it now!

"The Labyrinth is a treasure trove of materials for Craftknights!" Bron explained. "To be a skilled Craftknight, ya have to be able to find yer own materials."

"Right," Silver nodded. "I just hope I can handle the Summon Creatures and Strays down there…"

"A skilled Craftknight has to be a master of the weapons he makes," the large man told him sternly. "If ya want to be a Craftlord, then ya gotta be able to take on at least a hundred or two strays, by yerself! If yer serious about this, and ya do win the tournament, then you'll have to visit the shrine of Parista every month, deep within the Labyrinth. If ya couldn't make it there, you'd be shamed as a Craftlord."

"…You've got a point," the boy admitted, walking over to his desk. He picked up a large, round object, and placed it over his right hand. "Then I need to get with it! I have to step up my game if I want to win this thing!"

The object he had was his novice drill, the boy's weapon of choice. It wasn't really all that special, but it could get the job done. Silver had been given the thing when he and Bron made it, and the large man said it wasn't good enough to sell. He told the boy to keep it, and use it for practice. Now, the drill was all dinged up, and most likely to break soon. But it would hold together for a little while longer. Enough time to get inside the Labyrinth and get some materials.

"Good answer," Bron smiled. "But tha' drill won't last long. It looks like it's about ready to break. Time for ya to learn the secrets of drill craftin'! But first, do you remember how to craft a weapon exactly?"

"Like I remember my own name!" Silver grinned back. "We start by gathering all the items that we intend to use as materials. Then we heat, smelt, and separate them into four different types of mineral ores. After that, we combine them in a certain way as specified on the technique we use for that particular weapon. We finish up by striking the minerals with our hammer to force them into shape."

"Good, ya got it down," the Guild Master nodded. "But ya need more than just the know how to actually be a good Craftknight. Ya gotta get yer hands dirty, and do it yerself! Go down into the Labyrinth, and get yer materials. Tha' drill o' yers is in bad shape. Ya need to replace it soon. This should get ya started. Come see me after ya finish it."

Bron handed Silver a slip of paper, and walked out of the room. The boy looked at it, and his eyebrows shot up. The slip of paper was a schematic for a novice drill! And by the looks of it, the thing was not easy to make after all! It seems a novice drill is more complicated to make than a really powerful sword, made by a master! There were little notes on the side too, explaining certain parts, pointing out certain details, and giving advice about how to improve the weapon.

It seems that the positioning and connecting of wires within the weapon alone can determine if the drill is usable or not! If one wire is touching another in the wrong spot, or not connected properly, then the apex of the thing could spin in reverse, making it completely useless, or the whole weapon could fall apart when the lightest of impacts. That alone made a drill harder to work with than most other weapons.

"I expected it to be hard to make," Silver admitted to Fluttershy. "But never did I think it'd be this difficult! The materials aren't a problem, but if we make this wrong, that could put us out of the tournament before our first match!… I'm not sure if I can do this."

"You won't know unless you try," Fluttershy reassured him, placing a hoof on his leg.

"…Maybe," he agreed, smiling at her. "I guess that we should get ready for the Labyrinth then. C'mon, let's head to the store in town. It'd be pretty stupid to go down there without a few extra precaution items."

Silver placed his drill in the special sheath Bron made for him. The man gave it to him, saying that he couldn't carry the thing on his hand all the time. It was short and wide, designed to hold the rotating pieces of the weapon. The base of his tool stuck out, and was available for quick equipping. The sheath hung on the boy's waist like a regular sword scabbard, on his left side. It was fastened into place by two leather straps, one across his hip, the other over his chest and around his right shoulder.

The two made their way out of the workshop, and headed straight for the stairs. As they approached them, the duo saw Bron walk out of Cleru's room. Curious to see what his friend was about to get into, Silver went up to their door and knocked. The silver-haired boy that now lived in there walked out with his Guardian Beast, and locked the door.

"Hey Silver," Cleru greeted him. "Me and Sugar were just heading out to the store. Wanna join us?"

"We were actually on our way there in the first place," the brown-haired boy explained. "We thought it might be good to see what they have before trying our luck in the Labyrinth."

"…You're not going for the sale?" his friend questioned, a confused look on his face.

"What sale?" Fluttershy asked beside her master.

"The store is having an iron ore sale," Sugar explained to them. "Master Bron told us that we could get some for ten boam a pound!"

"Yeah," Cleru nodded. "He gave us about three hundred boam, saying we should get as much as we can carry. He also said to hurry, since there'd probably be a bunch of bargain hunters."

"Hmmm," Silver thought aloud. "Master didn't tell US about that sale! I wonder what his game is?"

"Who knows," his friend shrugged. "But me and Sugar need to get moving! We have to get some ore, and quick! I don't have a weapon, and I need to make one fast! Who knows when my first match will be called!"

With that, Cleru and Sugar dashed down the flight of stairs and out the Guild hall. Silver looked at Fluttershy, grinned, and broke into a sprint after his friend. His Guardian Beast spread her wings, and galloped for the open window on the second floor lobby. She jumped out and glided over to her master, who was quickly catching up with the silver-haired boy.

The four of them quickly made their way through the town, and rushed for the store. It took them four minutes to reach it, and they burst into the small building, looking around. There were only five people there, including the store clerk. There was a woman in orange at the table on the right, enjoying a drink. There was a man in green, standing on the left, looking over his purchase. And there were two people at the counter, near the walls on both sides. The one on the left was browsing a few of the items, while the girl on the right looked lost in thought. Cleru approached the clerk and spoke up.

"Excuse me sir," he began. "You wouldn't happen to have any iron ore for sale, would you?"

"Oh, my bad," the man apologized. "We just sold the last of it to that girl over there on the right."

"Now what do we do?" Cleru asked, turning back to his friend. "Master didn't hand us enough money to buy anything else!"

"Well," Fluttershy spoke up from behind Silver's feet. "You could… try asking that girl for some ore… If it's not to much trouble…"

"That's a good idea," Sugar nodded.

"…I don't know," Cleru began. "Something tells me she won't part ways with her material. I don't think I would if someone asked me for mine."

"I'll see what she says," his Guardian Beast said, floating over to her. "Um, pardon me, I was wondering of you'd be so kind as to sell us some of your iron ore?"

"What's this all of a sudden?" the girl began.

Silver quickly but carefully shoved his hands in his trench coat pockets, and turned his head away, feigning a lack of caring about anything. This was the girl from the opening ceremony! The boy tried to prevent himself from blushing. Why? What was so special about her? She was just an ordinary girl, and was just after the same thing he was! They both wanted a Craftlord position, and eventually, the two of them would have to fight for that. He couldn't let himself get caught on her!

"You two," the girl continued. "Where have I seen you both from?"

"…The ceremony from yesterday," Silver answered, trying to keep his voice even, and his attention off of her. "We were behind you."

"Oh yeah," she nodded, sending a strange stare at the boy. Then she turned towards Cleru. "I'm surprised someone as spaced out as you had the guts to enter the tournament!"

"And just what does that mean?" the silver-haired boy shot back.

"Just as I said," she laughed. "And, I'm not going to sell you my iron ore. Your fault, slowpoke. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to prepare for the Labyrinth.

"Hmph!" Sugar huffed, watching her walk away. "How mean can you get?"

"Everyone acts differently," Silver answered, trying to calm her down. "The only thing we can do is accept it and get on with our lives."

"…I guess," the Guardian Beast nodded after a few seconds. "For the meantime, let's go tell Master Bron about the ore being sold out."

"Right," Cleru agreed. He turned to Silver and spoke again. "I'm gonna head back to the Guild. What about you?"

"…Well, I think I'll see what else this store has, and then try my luck in the Labyrinth," the brown-haired boy explained. He turned to his partner and continued. "Plus, I want to see what Fluttershy can do. I want to get a bit of training with her before we actually try for a tournament match."

Cleru nodded, and walked out of the store with his own partner. Silver walked up to the counter, and called out the clerk. The man showed him his remaining inventory, and the boy purchased a few 'quick fix' items. Just something to patch up light wounds if he got injured. He could even apply them mid battle if he was quick enough. He browsed the other wares the store had, but they were just bits of equipment, made to give him a light boost in battle. They were really pricey too!

"Okay," Silver turned to Fluttershy. "We've got a few recovery items, and I'm primed for battle! Shall we try the Labyrinth?"

"Yes," the golden pony nodded.

The two of them walked back towards the Silver Guild, as the Central Tower was on the way back. As they reached the fork that separated the two paths, Silver noticed someone in purple just a little ahead of them, going for the Tower. It was that girl from earlier! The boy felt himself wander back to their last conversation, their only one really, and thought about how intense she'd been. Something told him that she was prepared to take down anyone that stood in her way, in and out of the arena.

"S-Silver?" Fluttershy started beside him, grabbing his attention. "A-Are you alright?"

"Hmm?" he asked. "Oh, um, I'm fine. Just…zoned out for a second…"

The two continued along their path, walking into the Tower. They went straight, and found the entrance to the cluster of forges the man from this morning had mentioned. Just as he explained, there was a guard posted in front of the entrance. Silver walked up to him, and presented his key, still chained to his pants.

"…Okay, you have a key," the guard nodded. "Please show me your weapon."

The brown-haired boy opened the side of his jacket, exposing his drill. He stuck his hand into the opening, and withdrew the weapon. He gripped the handle that was inside the base, and made his index pull the trigger. The drill came to life, and spun quickly, making a whirring sound as it vibrated. The man nodded, and Silver released the trigger. His weapon slowly lost speed, and eventually stopped spinning altogether. He placed it back in it's sheath, and the man stepped aside. Silver unlocked the door, and started down the steps into the Labyrinth.

As he reached the bottom of the stairs, the boy noticed a circular green object on the left. It was glowing green, and had a pulsing about it. If Silver remembered his textbook lessons, the object was called a Teleporter, and when more than one was activated, a person could use them to travel between the two at will. He inspected the thing, and tried to activate it. Unfortunately, nothing happened. He guessed that he needed to know where the second was in order to use them.

After a minute of walking, Silver began to realize something. The maze was actually pretty straightforward! It just led forward, barely turning at all. He stopped, and began to take in his surroundings. The walls were made of stone, and every few feet, crystals could be seen hanging from them as well as the ceiling. They cast a pinkish purple glow about the place. Silver also noticed the pipes that ran along the walls.

"Hmmm," the boy thought aloud. "Something feels off…"

"Like wh-what?" Fluttershy stammered beside him. She kept looking around, expecting a large hideous monster to jump out at them.

"It's really quiet for one," he commented. "And so far we haven't seen a single Summon Creature. True, we've only been down here a few minutes, but still I expected a stench, a glimpse, or something of what guards the path to Parista! Yet our path has been plainly open so far!"

"That's because I've been slaying everything in my way!" called out a female voice ahead of them.

Silver looked in that direction to see the girl from earlier approach them. Quickly, the boy stuffed his hands in his coat pockets, and turned his eyes to a set of crystals on the ceiling. The girl walked over, and placed her hands on her hips.

"You can stop trying to act like you're cool now," she smirked. "You're failing miserably."

"Eh, I'm not good with people," Silver shrugged. "This is what I do when I talk with strangers."

"Well stop it," she told him. "You look like you're about to just give up and go home. I'd suggest doing that by the way. You won't beat me in the tournament!"

"We'll see," the brown-haired boy countered, his eyes flashing for a second. He hated it when others counted him out before they even gave him a chance! "I let my actions do the talking! Would you like to try me?"

"Hmph!" the girl huffed. "You boys, always acting like you're big and tough! None of you have ever seen a REAL fight! I bet I could take you down with ease!"

"Okay first off, I don't try to act big and tough!" Silver snapped, getting annoyed. "I know I'm not! Second, that's the whole reason I'm down here, to get some partial experience about fighting! If I don't train now, I'll be completely at a disadvantage during my tournament match!"

"…You're weird," the girl commented after a few seconds. "You openly admit to your flaws, and are willing to share with just anyone."

"Just because we're rivals doesn't mean we have to hate each other," Silver shrugged. He extended a hand to her. "My name is Silver. This here is my Guardian Beast, Fluttershy. What's your name?"

"…Sanary," she answered, shaking his hand, and the golden pony's hoof. "That's a different Guardian Beast. I've never seen one like her."

"O-Oh, sorry," Fluttershy blushed, hiding behind Silver. "I can go away… if you want?"

"Hmph, not very brave, is she?" Sanary commented with a smirk. "Can you really trust her to help in a fight?"

"That's another reason I'm down here," he answered. "I want to see what she can do, and get some experience fighting alongside her. This way, I can better be prepared for our match!"

"I see," the girl nodded. "Well, maybe you'd like to show me what you can do?"

"Oh, so you DO want to fight," Silver smirked. "Come at me then!"

"Not me," she pointed behind the duo. "Them."

Silver turned around and saw two gelatinous blobs of turquoise move closer to them. At first, he thought it was water, but then he realized that there were eyes on the blobs! They shifted a bit upwards, and he saw them open what looked like their mouths. These were slimes, the most basic of all monsters known to exist… The perfect training dummies.

Silver nodded to Fluttershy, and she did the same. The boy quickly equipped his drill, and shifted his body into an attack stance. He held the drill in front of him, like a barrier that kept the monsters at bay, and had his other hand close to his face for blocking. If he studied these things right, then they attacked by jumping you, and trying to bite down.

Fluttershy, began to glow for a second, and then her master's weapon started to as well. It gained a green glow about it, and Silver smiled. His Guardian Beast had enchanted his drill with wind, making it capable of doing more damage. He gripped his weapon tighter, and pulled the trigger. The apex of the drill began to rotate, gaining speed exceedingly quick. This was at least twice his drill's normal rotating power!

"Okay then," the brown-haired boy smirked. "Let's see just how I can do in battle!"

Silver dashed forward, and came upon the first of the slimes. He aimed his drill right for it's eyes, and punched down at it. The tip of his weapon made contact, and pierced the creature's body like it was air! The slime separated into two pieces, and lost it's form. That was one of those revolting summons down!

Fluttershy came up beside him, and nodded, a fierce look in her eyes. So when it came time to fight, she could get serious! That was good. He returned the nod, and charged at the second slime. He repeated the attack, and attempted to strike it between the eyes. But the creature simply ducked, lost it's form, and slid between his legs. Silver's attack still continued though, and his weapon hit the floor. The point of the drill struck the stone, and bent at an odd angle. That wasn't good.

Silver knew his drill wouldn't last long, but he figured he'd be able to gather a few materials before it would become too damaged for fighting. Now it looks like he'd have to turn back and try another approach! But first, he had to finish this fight.

"Hmph," Silver grunted. "I'm not going to let a crooked weapon stop me from ending this. Fluttershy, do you know any offensive spells?"

"N-No," she stammered, her gentle voice right beside him. "Eek, behind you Silver!"

Silver turned just in time to see the slime jump at him. Without thinking, he lashed out with his drill, and pulled the trigger. The weapon caught the creature right in the mouth, and spun it into many little pieces. Well, that was anti-climatic! The boy, released the trigger, and surveyed the area, just in case there were more of those vile things about.

"Hmmm, not bad," Sanary smirked from her spot on the wall. "You might do alright if you can prevent your weapon from smashing into the floor. Try adjusting your own height before you strike, so that you can be lower when you attack, and pull your weapon back if you miss."

"…Thanks," he nodded, memorizing the advice she was giving. "Besides that little screw-up, I almost did decent."

"Almost is right," she laughed. "Your skill was sloppy, and if not for the fact that Fluttershy warned you, that fight could've ended much sooner than you thought!"

"Yeah, you're right," Silver agreed. He turned to his partner and smiled. "Thanks Fluttershy! If not for you, that slime might've taken me down."

"I… I just warned you," she blushed. "It wasn't anything special."

"A Craftknight and his Guardian Beast need to be able to communicate with each other at all times," Sanary told the pegasus. "If not, then the lives of one, or both of them could be in danger. Even a simple warning is sufficient! Don't forget that…"

Sanary walked over to Silver, and placed a large chunk of metal in his hand. She smiled, and walked farther down the path. The brown-haired boy looked at what she handed him, and smiled. It was a piece of iron ore! She was giving him material, for no reason at all. He looked up to see her about to round a corner. As she did, she turned back to him, and winked. With that, she vanished behind the wall.

"What just happened?" Fluttershy asked.

"…I think I just made a new friend," Silver grinned, a light blush on his face. He pocketed the ore, and turned back towards the exit. "C'mon partner, we need to get back to the workshop, and get forging. Who knows when our match will be called."

The duo made their way back to the stairs out of the Labyrinth, and started up. As they approached the top, they saw the guard talking with…Cleru! The man was shaking his head, indicating that the boy couldn't get through. Silver came forward a bit more so he could listen in.

"The Labyrinth is way too dangerous." the guard told Cleru. "I can't let you go down there unarmed, even if you are a Craftlord candidate, escorted by a Guardian Beast."

"But I have a weapon," the silver-haired boy argued. He held out his hammer, and spoke confidently. "This… HAMMER!"

"Isn't that your smithy hammer?" the man asked. "You need to take care of your crafting tools."

"This hammer can forge more than just weapons!" Cleru declared. His eyes glinted as he spoke. "It can forge a man!"

"_Did he REALLY just say that?"_ Silver thought to himself, smacking his forehead. He looked at Fluttershy, who giggled.

"…You've got guts kid," the guard grinned. "Those are bold words! If you're that willing to go, I've no right to stop you! Show everyone just how far you can go with only a hammer!"

"Y-Yes sir," Cleru saluted.

Silver picked that exact moment to intervene. He climbed the last few steps, and entered his friend's line of sight. He placed an arm on the guard, and the man stepped to the side, letting him through. The boy walked up to Cleru, and grinned.

"Bro, did I really just hear you say that?" Silver laughed. "Did you hit your head recently?"

"No!" Cleru defended. "But I don't have materials, and I need to craft a weapon! My hammer was the only thing available to use!"

"…That's what Master Bron told you to do, isn't it?" the brown-haired boy asked his friend quietly, trying to prevent the guard from hearing.

"Y-Yes," Cleru admitted, lowering his head. "But you have to admit, it worked!"

"Yeah yeah!" Silver grinned. "Well, just be quick! Those slimes may seem easy targets, but they can adjust their forms at will. Try not to smash the floor with your hammer, okay?"

To explain that bit of advice, he held up his dented drill. His friend gasped, and broke out laughing. Sugar huffed, and lightly struck him on the shoulder. Fluttershy began to giggle herself, and soon Silver was joining in. That even got Cleru's Guardian Beast going.

"Okay, I'll be careful," Cleru laughed. "Did you get any material?"

"…Just a bit," Silver nodded, pulling the chunk of iron ore out of his pocket. "Sanary gave it to me after I broke my drill."

"You got SANARY to give you that?" Cleru asked incredulously. "That's crazy!"

"Eh, she's not so bad," the brown-haired boy shrugged. "You just have to take some time and get to know her."

"As if!" his friend scoffed. "Master Bron told me all about her. I intend to keep as far away from her as I can!"

"Suit yourself," Silver told him. "But I need to get back to the workshop. Me and Fluttershy have to get a weapon ready, in case they call out a match for us soon."

The two boys parted ways, and the brown-haired one began his short trek back to the Silver Guild. Upon reaching it, he was greeted by Amariss. The woman turned as he approached, and waved to him. The boy waved back, and quickly jogged over to her.

"Miss Amariss," Silver started, surprised. "What're you doing here?"

"I just thought I'd check up on my two boys," she answered, smiling. "You know, see how they are doing."

Even though he had no relation to her, Amariss treated Silver as though he was her son. Even after losing her husband, and having to raise her own child alone, she took the boy in. It was truly touching for him, to be accepted just like that into her family. The woman was just so caring, it nearly sent the boy to tears.

"Thanks," he grinned back. "Would you like to enter my workshop? I can tell you everything that's happened there, while I prepare to forge my first weapon."

"Oh, I'd love to," Amariss replied.

Silver slowly led her up the stairs, and into his workshop. He had her take a seat on his bed, and started by introducing Fluttershy. The pegasus and Amariss talked for a minute, getting to know each other. Then the boy told her about the events so far today, about how Fluttershy transformed, the trip to the shop, and then his little attempt at the Labyrinth. All the while, he was stripping his old drill of the cords inside. He could scrap the metal for materials, and keep the cords for future drills. This way, he had a bit of extra to work with!

"It sounds like the two of you have had an interesting day," Amariss commented, watching Silver remove the last piece of wire from his old weapon. "How has Cleru fared?"

"He and Sanary don't seem to get along," the brown-haired boy laughed. "But I can't blame him. At first, she seemed kind of mean, but after that little fight with those slimes, I think she's actually kinda cool…"

"Oh la la-a-a," the woman laughed. "Does someone have a crush on the Silver Guild's best female Craftknight?"

"I- uh… what?" Silver blushed. "I don't uh, know… what you're talking about!"

"You know you can't hide anything from me," Amariss told him, a knowing grin on her face. "I've been raising you for three years now. I can tell when something is up!"

"…Okay, you got me," Silver confessed. "But is it really so wrong?"

"Not until you have to fight her," his replacement mother laughed. "Then you have to make a decision. Will you fight her, or give up your dream? If the two of you make it to the top, are you willing to sacrifice your match to prevent hurting her, or will you push through and try to become a Craftlord?"

"…"

Silver had no way of answering that question. If he and Sanary fought, would he even resist? Something inside him said he'd try, but it would be pointless. She was in a league far above his! She could take down loads of those slimes, without even being fazed, while he could barely handle two! If they fought now, he'd have to bow out, knowing that it would be a losing battle…

"You don't have to answer that question now," Amariss reassured him. 'Just know that you could fight her at any time. If you want to be a Craftlord, then try not to get to close to her. Otherwise, flowers and offering your services are the best things you can do to impress her!"

With that, Silver's replacement mother walked out of his workshop. He stared at the space where she had been for a few more seconds, letting her words sink in. Fluttershy prodded him in the side, and grabbed his attention. He shook his head clear, and turned towards his partner.

"Um Silver," she started. "Shouldn't we get to work?"

"Uh, yeah," he nodded, still a bit in a daze. "You're right."

Silver walked over to the forge, and began to smelt the iron ore. It quickly separated into a small amount of three different minerals. He quickly removed them, and repeated this process with his broken drill, extracting the new ore. He placed them in a special container, and walked over to his desk.

The schematic Bron handed him explained how to make each piece of the drill, inch for inch. The little notes on the side also provided a few inside hints, like small adjustments that could make the weapon a bit more durable, or pierce a target faster. If Silver had to fight other people, he wanted to break their weapons instead of actually hurting them. He wasn't one for downright smashing his opponent!

Quickly looking over the details a few more times, the boy returned to his forge. He lowered his goggles, and retrieved the amount of materials needed for his new drill. He quickly, merged them, and brought them into the shapestone that would determine how the weapon would look. The liquid metal seeped into the molding, and Silver brought out the anvil.

Fluttershy glowed brightly for a second, and transformed into her human-like form. The brown-haired boy smiled as she brushed a lock of hair out of her face. She looked kinda cute like that. Once more, he blushed with that thought. He shook his head and focused on the task at hand.

Silver and Fluttershy brought out their hammers, and began the process of shaping the drill. They hammered away at it, constantly reheating it and cooling it in the forge and water trough respectively. After a good twenty minutes, the boy stopped, and motioned for his partner to as well. He used his large tongs to hold up the weapon, and investigated it.

It wasn't great, but it would suffice! The point wasn't all that sharp, but then the boy was still an apprentice Craftknight, so he was still learning his trade. The slight grooves on the side were a little shallow, and wouldn't do much damage when they came in contact with something, but he felt it was good enough. In fact, this drill looked and felt lighter, tougher, and completely better than his old one. Maybe it was because he crafted this one himself, and knew how he wanted it to turn out?

Silver moved over to the desk, and began to reapply the wiring to his new drill. He carefully reviewed the schematics, and made sure all of the cords were placed in the right spots, and were fully connected. He held up the finished project about three minutes later, and gave it a test spin. The drill came to life, and spun rapidly, creating a loud whirring sound as it went. He shut it off and looked at his Guardian Beast.

"It looks like we're finished Fluttershy," he smiled at her. "And I think we did a good job! Thanks for your help!"

"I didn't do much," she sighed, wiping a bit of sweat away. "You helped cover for me mostly."

"Well you've never had to craft anything before, so it was only right that I do that," he returned with a contagious grin. "But don't worry, as we get better together, I know you'll become a great crafter!"

"Sounds like the two of ya are finished," came a familiar voice from the hall.

"Oh, hello Master Bron," Silver greeted the large man. "Were we causing to much noise?"

"Only about as much as any other Craftknight would," the Guild Master laughed. "So, how does the new drill feel?"

"Have a look," the brown-haired boy passed it to him. "What do you think?"

"Hmmm…a little rough," Bron critiqued. "But not bad. I'm guessing you did most of the work Silver?"

"I just did my share and advised Fluttershy where she could do a bit more," he answered.

There came a knock at the end of the hall, and the trio looked in that direction. Standing at the edge of Silver's room was Sanary. She smirked as she made her way over to them. The girl looked over his new drill for a few seconds and turned her attention back to the boy.

"I figured it was you making all that noise," she laughed. "It took you this long to make your first weapon?"

"What can I say?" Silver shrugged. "I'm a slowpoke!"

"There's nothing wrong with that," she said quickly, smiling. "But you won't be able to get far into the tournament with that speed."

"Then I'll just learn quicker, and force myself to get better!" the brown-haired boy shot back, a confident smirk on his face. "I don't intend to be left behind by my fellow Craftknights!"

"Alright you two," Bron stopped them. "Cut it out."

"Yes Master," Sanary nodded. "I was just providing some… constructive criticism."

"And I appreciate it," he smiled at her. "Thank you Sanary!"

"Silver…" his master began quietly. "Yer not actin' like yerself…"

"What're you talking about Master Bron?" the boy stopped him quickly, his expression saying to stop talking like that. "I'm like my normal self!"

"Hmph! If you say so," Bron shrugged. "Well, yer drill looks good enough, so I think I'll-"

"Hello hello!" called out a voice from the hall. "I'm here to deliver the match notice for Silver's first round in the tournament!"

"Enter," the boy called back, walking over to his entrance. He took the envelope from the man and nodded. "Thank you."

"Your first opponent will be a Craftknight from the Silver Guild," the man continued. "His name is Cazio. You can reach the battle arena from the first floor of the Central Tower. Show this to the guard in front of the other door in the lobby, and he'll guide you there. Also, please remember, there is a one weapon only rule being enforced during the tournament. Please bring your favorite equipped. Good luck!"

"Fighting him eh?" Sanary spoke up as the official left. "That should be an interesting match. Good luck, and do your best. I'll be watching!"

"What is Cazio like Master?" Silver asked him as he watched his new friend leave. "Is he strong?"

"Nah, he's a pushover," Bron laughed, heading for the exit himself. "The boy can' craft a sword to save his life! Instead, he uses spears, so keep on yer guard. It shouldn't be too hard if ya keep on yer toes. You'll be fine! Oh, I almost forgot. I left yer next drill technique on yer desk. Enjoy!"

With that, Silver and Fluttershy were alone once more. Silence permeated the room, making it awkward for both of them. The brown-haired boy scratched the back of his head and looked at his partner. She looked a little scared. He wondered what was bothering her. Could it be the match they were about to enter?

"Hey, what's wrong?" Silver finally asked her. "Nervous?"

"J-Just a l-little," she admitted. "I-I don't know…if I can do this…"

"…I understand," the boy nodded. "But I don't think I can win without my Guardian Beast, as well as my friend, fighting beside me. Is there any chance I can convince you to join me?"

"I…I don't know," she said again. "I don't want to hurt anyone…"

"Well," Silver tried. "Nothing says you have to hurt Cazio. You could just… give me a boost. Fluttershy, you could enchant my weapon again, and then I could just do the rest."

"M-Maybe," the golden pegasus stammered. "B-But I'd still be… making you stronger… and you'd be… hurting him…"

"…Do you know any other supportive spells," her master kept up. "Any that wouldn't focus on my weapon?"

"J-Just one," Fluttershy answered. "I-It's called… Quick Move. It makes you faster…"

"Perfect!" Silver exclaimed. "Master said that I'd need to keep on my guard, and that I'd need to be on my toes as well. If I can be faster, then I'll be able to dodge his attacks easier! You can just hit me with that spell, and I can take care of the rest!"

"O-Okay," she nodded slowly.

Silver gave her a kind smile, and walked over to his desk. He picked up the slip of paper Bron said was his next technique, and looked it over. This one was called the Nano Rotor, and looked a bit more complicated then his novice drill. It was a bit wider at the base, and consumed a large amount of one mineral material. He would have to return to the Labyrinth to get the amount of material needed for this weapon. He smiled as he realized the good things behind that. It meant more practice with his drill, his partner, and maybe learning a few things in the process!

"C'mon Fluttershy," Silver turned to his Guardian Beast. "We need to visit the Labyrinth again…"

I.I.I

After making it back down the flight of stairs, Silver had encountered NUMEROUS slimes. There were easily twenty within the first part of it! He managed to defeat them all, but just barely, and that was with Fluttershy casting Quick Move on him! It seemed that the creatures almost acted with a single mind, and were acutely aware of something the others experienced. They continually dodged his drill, and evaded his strikes.

"This is getting tiresome," he sighed as yet another group of slimes charged at him from the walls. "Fluttershy, how are you holding up?"

"I'm.. fine," she huffed.

The entire time that he'd been fighting, she had warned him of back attacks, and continually used her enchantments on him. It was taxing her quite badly, and still they had no materials! If this kept up, Silver would have to turn around and retreat. He didn't want to endanger his partner any more than was necessary.

"Okay, new plan," Silver told her. "I'm going to just bust through the ones in our way! Can you give me a push Fluttershy?"

His body glowed green as she used Quick Move on him once more. A slight wind could be seen at his feet, where the magic was focused. The brown-haired boy, smirked, and dashed forward with lightning speed. He lashed out with his drill, getting low like Sanary advised, and lanced through a couple of slimes that were nice enough to get in a line for him.

"Fluttershy, go!" Silver instructed, kicking out at a slime by his foot. "The path is clear!"

The golden pegasus flew over his head, and made her way towards a small flight of stairs. Silver quickly dashed after her, and made his way up them as well. He looked back and saw the slimes were retreating. With a sigh, he fell to his knees and gave a weak laugh.

"That… was exhausting," he huffed. "Good job… Fluttershy!"

"Who's there?" came a familiar voice behind them. Silver turned around to see Sanary looking at them. 'Oh, it's you, Silver."

"Hey," he waved, getting up. He made his way over to her and continued. "I'm not disturbing you am I?"

"No," she smiled at him. "I don't mind really. This place is public, so telling you to leave would be stupid."

"Thanks," he returned. He looked at the view in front of him and smiled. "Wow, this is amazing."

In front of the trio was a large glass pane, showing a blue world on the other side. Fish swam to and from, going about their lives and ignoring the people. The view was stunning, and at the same time, calming. Silver wanted to just sit back and stare at this spot forever.

"Look how beautiful this place is," Sanary smiled. "I can see straight into the ocean…"

"…It's lovely," he agreed. "Kind of like… like an undersea observatory or something."

"…A few years ago, I came here with my sister," the girl told him, her eyes shining. "She brought me here despite all the monsters that threatened. I've always thought of coming back, but never got the chance because this place was restricted. Now, I have the strength and the ability to visit whenever I want. And this time, I didn't need my sister's help…This place is special to me, for so many reasons…"

"…" Silver nodded, turning his gaze back to the sea.

He understood what she was saying, mostly because he kinda felt the same things. His spot on the Guild roof was special to him, because of the view, and how peaceful everything seemed when he went there. It was like the whole world stopped when he rested up there.

Now, he had met another that found a peaceful place, one to visit whenever something troubled them. Sanary was saying that she liked the place, not only for the view, but because it was also a triumph getting there. The monsters and restriction prevented her from coming here for years. Now, she could stop by whenever, like Silver could with his place on the roof.

"Every time I come here," Sanary continued. "I feel that I'm getting closer to her."

"You mean your sister," the boy commented.

"Yeah," she nodded, turning her gaze to him.

Silver looked at her, and saw her eyes glazed over with tears. That caught him by surprise! Why was she crying? Was it something he said? He was about to ask, but she turned away and wiped off the tears. She smiled at him, and headed for the steps.

"I think I've chatted long enough," she told him over her shoulder. "I think I'll get going. Bye!"

"Wait Sanary!" Silver called her back. "I uh… Um… Nevermind. I'll see you later."

She walked back through the path he came from, and vanished around a corner. Silver smiled, and shoved his hands in his pockets. He turned back to the sea view, and continued to watch the fish swim about in their underwater world. He sat down, and Fluttershy came up beside him.

"Silver, what's wrong?" she asked, looking at him with her blue eyes. "Is it something about Sanary?"

"…I think it is," he admitted, looking down at her. "Fluttershy, I couldn't say anything right then. I don't know why, but my mouth just sealed itself shut when I was about to say… I… I guess I don't know what I wanted to say. Maybe I'm just a fool…"

"…"

"Fluttershy, what do you think I should do?" he asked his partner. "Should I go after her, or keep trying my luck with this Labyrinth?"

"…I think you should focus on your match," she finally said after a few seconds. "You can talk with her later. But you and I will be going against Cazio in an hour. You need more materials for that drill."

"You're right," Silver sighed. "C'mon, lets go deeper. We're sure to find some materials farther down."

After another good ten minutes, the duo found some stairs leading down. As they approached the next floor, they saw a new creature moving about. It had a blue body, a horn on it's head, wore what looked like a string of sutra, and floated around. If Silver remembered it from the Beastiary that Bron let him borrow, it was called a Gremlin!

"Those things are supposedly more annoying than slimes," he sighed, explaining to Fluttershy. "They can cast fire spells at us, and are much more resilient than our previous foes."

"Can we win?" she asked him.

"Yeah, but it'll be a bit difficult," he nodded. "If you enchant me, I might be able to catch him while his back is turned."

Fluttershy did as he asked, and Silver smirked. He charged at the Gremlin, and lanced it in the back. It cried out in pain, and sank to the floor, where it dissolved into nothingness. He turned back to his partner, only to see her surrounded by a trio of slimes. He sighed, and gripped his drill tighter. These things were staring to anger him!

Silver split the first right down the middle, and kicked the second into the air, where he spun it to pieces. The last tried to retreat, but the brown-haired boy managed to stop it, and let his drill shred it into a gooey pile of muck. As it lost it's form, he saw a lump in the mess. His curiosity got the better of him, and the boy picked it up. He wiped away some of the goop, and saw that it was a bottomless cup. That was good material for novice Craftknights!

"Hey, Silver!" called out another familiar voice. The boy turned to see Cleru and Sugar running towards them. "What're you doing down here?"

"Just getting more materials Bro," he smiled at his friend. "I need to craft another drill for my match against Cazio."

"Your's has been called too?" the silver-haired boy asked. "Same! I'm supposed to fight someone named Chaves! I came back down here to grab some extra materials to fortify my new blade."

"Oh finally got a sword huh?" Silver laughed. He looked at his friend's weapon, and smirked. "A little dingy, but so is mine!"

"Yeah, but we're both still apprentices," Cleru admitted. "We have to get better, and quick."

"Right," the brown-haired boy nodded. He looked at the watch he grabbed from his desk, and saw the remaining time left. "Oh snap! I've got to get moving! I need to get those materials and quick if I want to craft that new drill before my fight!"

"Got too little time huh?" Cleru laughed. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a chunk of ore. "Here, use some of mine. I've got a good hour and a half before my fight, so I can keep hunting around down here. You need to get ready and rest up, so let Sugar give you a quick bit of help. Would you please my partner?"

"Right," she nodded. She corralled Silver and Fluttershy together, and held her hands up. "Escape!"

A bright light surrounded the brown-haired boy and his Guardian Beast. Silver blinked, and the next thing he knew, he was back in Central Tower, where the cluster of forges were. He looked around, and wondered where Cleru had vanished to. He turned to Fluttershy, who shrugged.

"Was that a spell that she knew?" he asked her. She nodded and the boy let out a sigh. "Oh thank God! She might've just saved out butts! C'mon Fluttershy, we have to get back to the workshop again!"

I.I.I _Forty Minutes Later _I.I.I

Silver and Fluttershy walked through Central tower, now well rested and carrying a new drill. It took the duo only ten minutes to get back to the Guild, and five to make the new weapon. After that, they spent the remaining time recovering from their second journey into the Labyrinth. Now, they were ready for their match against Cazio. Silver approached the official in front of the second door on the first floor, and presented his envelope from earlier.

"You're Silver, from the Silver Guild?" the man asked. He saw the boy's weapon, and nodded. "Okay, you're clear to go through. Good luck in your match!"

Silver and Fluttershy walked through the dark hall behind the man, and came out to a strange room. It looked like a large, circular stage. It was suspended by a large amount of chains, right over a deep pool of water that occupied a large area of the lower room. That meant there were a good number of ways to lose this fight! The first was to be knocked out, the second was to have a weapon break, the third was to surrender, and the last was to fall in the water.

Silver walked down the flight of stairs, and was promptly greeted with a roaring crowd. They occupied the stands all around the room, crying out their support or jeers. Evidently, some wanted him to win, while many others didn't. He looked around, and saw Sanary cheering for him from a seat right beside the door he came from.

"Hey Silver," she called out. "Try not to lose, okay?"

"R-Right!" he answered, nodding.

"Time to commence the second round of the tournament!" came Master Sakuro's voice from the center of the arena.

Silver approached the man, and saw his opponent, Cazio, come out of his respective door. He was wearing a gray jumpsuit, and his blue hair was in a bowl-cut fashion. He looked even more dorky than the brown-haired boy! Fluttershy came up, and rested a hand on his shoulder.

Before they came out of the dark hall, she decided that changing to a human would be better. Honestly, he thought it would make her more of a target that way. When he voiced his concerns, she just told him that her wings would allow her to keep out of harm's way, and the kid's spear.

"Cazio," Sakuro turned to the boy. "Will you summon your Guardian Beast?"

"Nope," he frowned. "My partner is too exhausted to fight, due to an accident in the Labyrinth. I'm afraid I'm on my own."

"Then you and I will have an even fight," Silver smiled at him. "My partner doesn't like to hurt others, so it's you against me! I hope that whoever wins, we can be friends…"

"Maybe," Cazio smirked. "Let's fight first though."

"Are you both ready?" Sakuro asked them. When they nodded, he continued. "As Craftknights of Wystern, fight honor and dignity! The second round of the tournament! Silver versus Cazio!"

"_Here we go!"_ Silver thought, equipping his Nano Rotor.

"Ready…" Sakuro called out, raising his sword. He slashed with it and shouted the last word before the fight. "BEGIN!"

Cazio charged at Silver with a really fast speed. The brown-haired boy raised his drill and stepped left to dodge. His opponent stabbed with his spear, catching the boy's weapon, and pinned it to the ground. He placed his foot over his arm, and smirked. Silver gripped his drill tighter, and kicked out, tripping his opponent.

The boy wrenched his arm free while he had the chance, and looked around for his Guardian Beast, who was flying just a little ways over the water. He nodded, and she began to glow green. Silver felt his legs grow stronger, and the wind reappeared at his feet. The Quick Move was in effect again! It was time to fight back.

"I refuse to lose!" he called out his challenge. "I hope you're ready for MY attack!"

Silver dashed at his opponent, and punched out with his drill. Cazio attempted to block with his spear, sometimes deflecting the attacks, other times being forced back a good amount. The brown-haired boy wasn't very strong, but he had enough strength to get him through this match!

Cazio finally managed to reverse one of the attacks, and caused Silver to step back, his arms wide out, leaving him open. The blue-haired boy readied his spear, and attempted to stab with it. Reflexively, the brown-haired boy stepped back and to the right. He managed to avoid taking the full lance to his stomach, but he still got a nasty gash on his side.

"Gah!" Silver gasped, stepping back. "That hurt! Is he out to kill me or something?"

"Silver!" Fluttershy called out from her spot over the water. "Are you okay?"

"No!" he shot back angrily. "I have a giant slash wound in my stomach!… Sorry for snapping, I'm just in pain."

"I'm about to put you in more," Cazio laughed, positioning himself between the boy and his Guardian Beast. "Let's finish this!"

"I'm not done yet!" Silver retorted, gripping his drill tighter. "I didn't go through all of this, only to lose now!"

Silver reached into his pocket, and pulled out one of the items he bought earlier. It was a large bandage, the perfect size for that gash in his side. The boy slammed it over his wound, wincing as it sent a sharp pain through his body, and returned his attention to his opponent. He grinned as he felt some of his stress and pain vanish. Not entirely, but enough to make him feel like he could take on this guy!

Silver dashed forward, the Quick Move still active, and continually struck out with his Nano Rotor. Cazio was forced back once more. Each thrust of the drill make the blue-haired boy flinch, and soon his spear was giving under the onslaught. Still, he tried to fight back the attacks, spinning his weapon and catching his opponent in the side once more. Silver cried out in pain, and backed up.

"You leave yourself too open," Cazio commented, placing the tip of his spear against Silver's neck. "Face it, I won."

Silver just sat there, gasping for breath. He looked at Fluttershy, who seemed a bit too scared to move, then at Master Sakuro, the Craftlord of Sapphire. The man in blue just watched on apathetically. The boy returned his gaze to his opponent, and noticed something about his spear. There was a crack right along the shaft in the middle! That was where Silver had landed most of his blows, so it would make sense that it would now be weak. All he had to do was force this guy off of him…

Acting quickly, Silver kicked out at Cazio, forcing the boy to trip. He got up and removed his trench coat, which was weighing him down. He tossed it to the side, and it landed with a heavy thud. That's right, he kept it loaded with weights, to train, his strength and speed for when he REALLY needed it.

Silver pulled his goggles over his eyes, and focused. He tuned out the sounds of the crowd, and gripped his drill tighter. He pulled the trigger, and charged at his opponent, praying that this would work. He used his foot to lift Cazio's spear into the air, then jumped after it, the Quick Move adding power behind it. He grabbed the shaft with his open hand, and pulled it towards him while he pushed out with his Nano Rotor. The impact widened the crack in the spear, but it didn't break.

The brown-haired boy saw he was falling back to the ground, and quickly improvised. He threw the spear like a javelin, and made it dig into the arena floor. He kicked out with his left leg as he landed on it, putting all of his weight behind the move. The shaft cracked, splintered, and screamed in protest, but it didn't break. Just what was this thing made of?

"Get away from my spear!" came Cazio's voice.

Silver felt something smash him in the back, and he was sent flying towards the edge of the arena. He tried to stop himself, but he couldn't get a grip on the floor, since it was so smooth. He began to slip over the edge, and quickly thrust his drill into the ground. It cracked the floor, and managed to hold him in place, but he could feel it trying to slip out.

"Fluttershy!" the brown-haired boy called out. "Help me! I can't hold on!"

The human-like Guardian Beast just stayed where she was, paralyzed with fear. She wasn't afraid for herself, but for her master. She had never seen such an intense fight between anyone! The whole event left her too shocked to move! How could she help him when he seemed able to do things so fine on his own?

"Please Fluttershy!" Silver tried again. "My drill is slipping!"

Something inside her snapped, and she finally realized what was going on. She quickly regained herself, and flew straight for her master. Fluttershy managed to grab a hold of him, just as his Nano Rotor dislodged itself from the floor. She descended just a few feet, but she was able to keep aloft. The Guardian Beast carried him back to the arena, and deposited him near the center, where Cazio had been watching.

"I told you I wasn't done yet," Silver smirked at him. "Now wipe that surprised look of your face! We have a match to finish!"

Silver tried to strike out with his drill, but his ankle acted up, and he fell forward. As he hit the floor, his head smashed against the tiles, jarring his senses. His vision dimmed, and he could hear a faint ringing in his ears, but he was still conscious. He just had to get off the ground, and end this soon. It wouldn't take long for Cazio to finish him off like this!

As he struggled to his knees, Silver saw a gray and blue blur quickly grow larger, and understood what was happening. He tried to block with his drill, and was forced back upon impact. His weapon was separated from his hand as he lost his grip, and he tried to reach out for it. The crowd went wild as he scrambled to his feet, moving for his Nano Rotor. As he picked it up, he removed his goggles. His vision instantly cleared, and he looked back at Cazio.

The boy was on his knees, holding two pieces of what looked like his spear. It took a moment for this to register in Silver' brain. When he finally realized what happened, he gave a victory shout, jumping for joy. He had successfully managed to break the blue-haired boy's weapon! That meant he won the match, and could advance to the next round in the tournament!

"YEAH!" Silver cried out, raising his drill in victory. "I DID IT!"

"The winner is Silver!" Sakuro called out, sheathing his sword. "He will advance to the next match and become one step closer to being a Craftlord."

"Hmph!" Cazio huffed, getting up. He glared at Silver for a second before turning to the Craftlord of Sapphire. "I guess that means I'm eliminated then? Alright, I'll accept my defeat in a dignified manner, and take my leave now."

"Hey Cazio!" Silver stopped him. "No hard feelings, right?"

"…You took my spear and forced it to break," the blue-haired boy countered with a glare. "While Master Sakuro may have put up with it, I won't! I want nothing to do with you!"

"Oh…" the brown-haired boy said, lowering his head. "I was hoping we could be friends…"

"Too bad!" Cazio snapped. "The 'Great Cazio' is leaving now!"

"…Did… Did he just refer to himself in third person?" Fluttershy asked, coming up beside him.

"I think he did," Silver nodded picking up his trench coat, and putting it on. "C'mon, let's get out of the arena. I need to rest now."

The duo made their way back to the Central Tower lobby, and took a seat at the bench near the stairs. As Silver placed his Nano Rotor back in it's sheath, he saw a flash of white. He looked over to Fluttershy, and saw she was back in her pegasus form.

"You know, I think I would've lost this match if not for your save at the end," Silver smiled at her. "You're kind of like my Guardian Angel, you know?"

"I-I wouldn't s-say that," she blushed. "I was j-just doing…my job."

"Maybe," the boy shook his head. "But still, thanks… Hey, why don't we call your human-like form, your Angel form?"

"Ha, that sounds true enough," came a male voice from down the hall. Silver turned and saw it was Cleru, followed by Sanary. "Good job on your first match by the way! That was an incredible fight!"

"I was pretty bad actually," Silver admitted. "Just goes to show how much more I need to do, if I want to be a Craftlord."

"Yeah, you have a long way to go," Sanary joked, taking a seat beside him. "Better get practicing if you hope to beat me!"

"Hey, cut him some slack!" Cleru snapped at her. "He just won his first match! No need to ruin the moment!"

"No, she's right Bro," Silver stopped him. "At the rate I'm moving, I'll never make it far in this tournament. I have to get better, faster. I have to make weapons better, fight stronger and faster, and force myself as much as I can! This isn't a game! Cazio was out to take my life! And it's even harder for me, because I refuse to take that route. I intend to break every weapon that gets in my way, which means I have to pull my punches, and accurately predict my opponents moves. Right now, it's a miracle I won!"

"…But still!" Cleru protested.

"…Hey, why do you call him 'Bro'?" Sanary broke in. "You two aren't related, right?"

"Heheh, noticed did you?" Silver laughed. "That's right, we come from different families. You see, my father was Claude, the candidate for Crystal Craftlord, while Cleru's dad was Shintetsu."

Sanary gasped, and moved her gaze between the two boys. Was it really that surprising that those two men had children? He would never understand why people reacted so weirdly when they found out about his lineage. Disregarding that fact, he continued to tell her about their families.

"One night, three years ago," Silver explained. "Something happened that caused Shintetsu and Dad to lose their lives. My mother was also lost that night, but before she vanished… she told Master Bron to take me to Amariss, Cleru's mom. I've been living with them ever since. After about a month with them, I started to grow accustomed to their way of living, and soon found myself beside my friend here all the time. We were raised together, trained together, and did everything together. After a year, I realized that Cleru was about as close to me as a brother, so I just started calling him that."

"…"

Everyone just listened in silence. Each of them, Fluttershy, Sugar, Sanary, and even Cleru had been wondering why Silver used that name. Now they understood why. The brown-haired boy's Guardian Beast began to sniffle, her eyes watering at how sad that story was. She wrapped her hooves around Silver, holding him in a hug.

"But you know," he continued with a smile. "I'm not sad. Yeah, I wish I could've known my parents, but I still have Bro and Miss Amariss. They've been there every step of the way, cheering me on like real family. In that sense, they are! I wouldn't change a single thing!"

"Heheh, neither would I," Cleru laughed.

"…You boys," Sanary smiled. "Always saying crazy things. I'm leaving…"

The two of them watched as she left. Fluttershy and Sugar walked off to the side, and began to whisper. Silver shrugged it off, thinking that if they wanted to talk in private, they had every right to do so. He got up and pulled Cleru into a headlock.

"C'mon Bro," he grinned. "Let's get you ready for your match!"

I.I.I _Later That Night _I.I.I

Silver yawned as he sat in the chair by his desk. He looked at the clock on the wall over his door, and saw the time said seven o' clock. The fight between Cleru and Chaves had ended about two hours ago, with the silver-haired boy winning. It had been a good fight to watch, but what happened after the fight made Silver angry.

When he lost, Chaves openly challenged Cleru. He said that it wasn't his weapon or skill that won the match, it was all Sugar. And while she had played a major role in the fight, the giant member from Gold Guild had been the idiot, and not called out his own Guardian Beast. In the end, he had been reprimanded by Master Sakuro, and Cleru had advanced to the next round.

"Whew," Silver sighed. "Now what to do? I'm not really tired yet…"

"Hey Silver," came Bron's voice. "Ya in yer room?"

"Yes Master," the boy called back. "Please, come in!"

"I heard ya won yer fight against Cazio," the man said.

"Yeah, it was pretty hard," Silver admitted. "You said he was a pushover, but I still barely won. That just proves how much harder I have to work if I want to become a Craftlord."

"Actually, I kinda lied to ya 'bout that," Bron told him, scratching behind his head in embarrassment. "I wanted ya to feel more confident, so I…stretched the truth a bit. Cazio is actually among one o' the better fighters in the Silver Guild. You beatin' him just proves that ya really have earned the right to be in the tournament."

"…Okay then," Silver nodded. "Thanks for telling me that Master."

"Yer not gonna jump fer joy or anythin'?" Bron asked, confused.

"Nah, I did that when I won," the brown-haired boy laughed. "Besides, it was only the first match. I still have to fight a bunch of others if I want to get any farther. Among them are Cleru and Sanary. I don't know how I'd do against Sanary, since… And against Bro, I don't think I'd be able to fight my best. Those two alone could stop me in my tracks, not to mention all of the other Craftknights that are REALLY good!"

"At least yer thinkin'," the Guild Master smiled. "That'll get ya far in this tournament. Don't forget that. But still, ya should celebrate yer victory. Keep up the good work."

Bron walked out of the room, leaving Silver and Fluttershy alone again. The boy looked at his partner, and she got up. She opened the window, and smiled at him. She spread her wings, and flew outside. The brown-haired boy had a feeling she was going to his special spot on the roof. That was fine, he was thinking about going out for a walk. He opened the door to his workshop, and stepped out of the Guild hall. He shoved his hands in his pockets, and just went about with no real destination.

His feet carried him all the way to Central Tower, and inside to the Labyrinth. He got his drill ready, not sure why he went this way. As he followed the path before him, Silver noticed that not even a single slime was about. Had someone already defeated them?

Reaching the opposite end of the first floor, the brown-haired boy found himself at the undersea observatory. He smiled as he watched the fish swim about, not a single care in the world for them. He wished he could be that care free, and didn't have to deal with all of these issues.

"Me and Fluttershy won our first match," Silver muttered to himself. "But how long until someone REALLY strong comes by, and just downright trashes us?"

"Congratulations," came a familiar female voice behind him. He turned to see Sanary walking up the steps. "You and Fluttershy did good today in your match."

"Uh thanks," the boy smiled at her. "You know, if not for the advice you gave me, and that material you shared today, I probably would've lost. So actually, I have to thank you for our victory!"

"But you were the one that fought Cazio and won," she argued back with her own grin. "It was your own weapon, your skill, and the strong bond between you and your partner that saw you through the match!"

"…The Three Tenets of Craftknighthood…" Silver began, recalling his lessons. "A Sword is not strength, a Sword is not skill, a Sword is not Friendship. A Craftknight must be all of those things. He must have a good weapon that he crafted, be skilled with it, and have a strong connection to his partner, in order to be considered worthy of his title."

"Only when one is endowed with all of these qualities can one be considered a good Craftknight," Sanary agreed. "Today you proved that you really are Claude's son… So, what brought you down here?"

"…I was just going for a walk, and somehow I ended up here," he admitted. "I remembered you saying how peaceful this place was, and I guess my feet just wanted me to come here. I'm not bothering you, am I?"

"No, but I am a little nervous," the girl admitted. "I got my first match notice today. I thought taking a walk would help calm my nerves."

"I don't see why you should be nervous," Silver joked. He blushed a bit as he continued. "You can handle anything that comes your way. I kinda envy you for that."

"Are you… blushing?" she asked, seeing his expression. "Are you thinking I'm cute when I get all girly?"

"N-No!" Silver defended himself, a bit embarrassed. "I w-was just…"

"Uh huh," Sanary said, placing her hands on her hips. She laughed as the boy took a step back. "I don't mind though. I AM a girl after all, so I don't see why I should be embarrassed."

"_Beautiful, confident, capable, and a good fighter,"_ Silver thought, his blush intensifying. _"Sanary is awesome… I pray I don't have to fight her anytime soon…"_

"You know," she continued, looking out at the sea. "I'm going to be the cutest and coolest woman ever! And the first step towards that goal is to be a Craftlord!"

"Well, I have no doubt you could do it," the brown-haired boy laughed, turning away. "Out of all the girls I've seen, you're the first to get under my skin… so to speak."

"…You're a strange one," Sanary commented.

"So I've been told," he grinned. "It wouldn't be the first time a girl has said that to me!"

"…Right," she laughed, remembering earlier today.

"…Hey," Silver began, after they stopped laughing. "Would you like to… come and eat with me? I know a good store that's open late, and they sell some good stuff."

"No thanks," she started. "…Is what I should say. But I wouldn't mind the company. You're kind of fun to talk with. Plus, no proper girl can refuse an offer of a good meal!"

"Heheh, neither can most guys," Silver laughed. He turned around, and motioned for her to join him. "C'mon then, Miss Sanary. It's my treat tonight. Let's celebrate my victory, and get you pumped for your first match!"

Hahahah, okay then!" the girl nodded, taking his arm. "I guess I can let you take me on a date!"

Silver blushed, and Sanary laughed. The two made their way out of the Labyrinth, and down towards the district area of Wystern where the brown-haired boy treated his new friend to a nice good meal. They talked, laughed, and just relaxed for a good hour. When they finished, the duo made their way back to the Silver Guild, where they parted ways.

Silver silently opened the door to his workshop, removed his trench coat, and slowly crept into his bed. As he rested his head on his pillow, he thought back to everything that happened today. His first weapon craft… defeating those monsters… beating Cazio… meeting Sanary… and that… date! What an interesting start to the Craftlord tournament!

Silver sighed in content, thinking about how lucky he was. Sanary was cute - really cute! And something inside the boy told him that it was fine to like her… But what about later? Sooner or later, he might have to fight her! The brown-haired boy shook that unpleasant thought out of his head, and focused on the good ones. He closed his eyes, and let the exhaustion of everything that happened today claim him…

I.I.I Author's note I.I.I

**Oh boy! That was FUN to write! Who enjoyed the fight scene between Silver and Cazio? The funny part is, he's an actual character in the game, but you just talk to him then. Even better, his room is the one that Silver claimed! The initial plan was to create a character for that fight from scratch, but the blue-haired egomaniac was already there, and it seemed perfect! He actually was a good fighter too. He made it to the quarter-finals in the game!**

**Anyways, do you think I did alright with the aftermath piece? That's going to happen every chapter, just like in the game. OH, and just to say, I might be altering that one thing! The ending with Sanary was unfair, so I'm going my own way with that! Sorry for all of you fans that don't agree with me! Besides, who can resist that cute face of hers?**

**And in case you're wondering, that is how I played the game! Sort of… I don't ever actually use items, since I rarely take a hit! But I do go about before every match, making the best weapon that Bron will give me. I do so love drills! **

**Read, review, and keep an eye out for chapter three! THANK YOU!**

**Tory Mills/ Silverwing the Adamant**


	3. Day 3:Vance, A Choice, The Second Match

**Well! Look who came back for another chapter! Glad you decided to keep reading! I hope you're enjoying this story as much as I enjoy writing it! If not, please tell me why so I can improve it! I want to make something everyone can enjoy reading!**

**I do not claim any rights to My Little Pony, or Summon Knight!**

Summon Knight: A Brony Retelling

'Day 3: Vance, A Choice, And The Second Match'

Silver smiled from his seat in the stands. Today was the day Sanary had her first match, and the boy had promised he would watch her cream whoever she fought. He was cheering her on, possibly being the loudest out of the entire crowd. Why not? She was his friend, and he was going to support her all the way!

"YEAH SANARY!" Silver shouted over the audience. "THAT'S HOW YOU SWING A SWORD!"

The girl in purple easily defeated her opponent, smashing his axe into little fragments. Sakuro halted the match, and proclaimed Sanary the victor. The crowd and Silver went wild, shouting their approval. The girl grinned widely, and walked off the arena.

Silver forced his way through the crowd, and found his friend sitting at the bench he'd been on after his match against Cazio. He took a seat beside her and grinned. Sanary smiled back, and laughed out of complete randomness, catching the brown-haired boy by surprise.

"What's so funny?" he asked,. "I don't get it!"

"Just thinking," she told him. "It's nothing, don't worry about it."

"O-Okay," he gave her a weird look. "But good fight back there! You certainly know how to fight better than most of the other contestants!"

"Th-Thanks," she smiled at him. "But I still need to get better. I heard that one of the members from the Gold Guild set the record for fastest time ever to win. I have to keep practicing…"

"I'm sure whoever it was got a really easy opponent," Silver reassured her. "I bet if he fought you, then he wouldn't be able to do anything for a few days after!"

"Heheheh, so true," Sanary laughed. "Thanks Silver, I needed that."

"That's what friends do," the boy grinned. He got up and extended his hand to her. "C'mon, I'll treat you to another meal, to celebrate your victory."

"Twice already?" she teased, taking his hand. "Someone is trying to gain my favor, aren't they?"

"Nothing wrong with that, is there?" he joked.

"No, but I'm starting to wonder," Sanary gave him a suspicious look.

"Ah, there ya two are!" came a gruff male voice from down the hall. They turned to see Bron walking towards them. "Good match Sanary, ya did good!"

"Thank you Master," she nodded.

"Now then, I want ya two to join me," the man continued. "I'm going to Vance, personally deliverin' some weapons that were crafted by me, the Silver Master! I need to get my ship ready, and I want yer help. Come to the harbor when yer ready!"

He walked away from the duo, leaving them alone once more. Silver scratched at the back of his head, and looked at Sanary. She smiled, and the two of them walked out of the Central Tower. As they began their little trek back to the Silver Guild, the brown-haired boy had a thought. Even if they couldn't celebrate right away, the two of them could when they got to Vance, if Bron would let them. Silver remembered Amariss telling him that the sea town had a really nice restaurant right beside the weapon shop.

"Um, I guess I'll see you at the harbor Sanary," he told her when they made it back to the Guild hall. "I've got to get Fluttershy, and then check up on something."

"Okay, I'll wait for you at the harbor," she smiled. Then she giggled. "Heheh, sound's like something from a noir film!"

Sanary walked into the Silver Guild, and left the boy alone with his thoughts. He turned around, and walked towards Cleru's old house, where he would find Amariss. After about three minutes, he finally made it. The boy knocked on the door and waited for his replacement mother to answer.

"Come in!" she called in her friendly voice. She smiled as she saw who it was on the other side of the door. "Oh, hello Silver, what brings you here?"

"Hi Miss Amariss," he greeted the woman. "I just came by to ask you a few questions. Do you have a minute?"

"Of course I do," she told him, motioning for the boy to take a seat at the table. "What is it you need to know?"

"Can you tell me about that one restaurant in Vance?" Silver asked her. "I'm going there in a little bit, and I want to celebrate Sanary's first tournament win."

"Oh la la-a-a-a," Amariss laughed. "Trying to impress her huh?"

"I-It's not like that!" the boy blushed. "I j-just wanted t-to do something nice is all!"

"Silver, you have a lot to learn about women," his replacement mother sighed.

"And what does that mean?" he asked, confused.

"Oh, you'll see!" the woman grinned. "For the moment, let's talk about that restaurant…"

I.I.I _Ten Minutes Later _I.I.I

Silver jogged up to the docks, Fluttershy close behind him. After his conversation with Amariss, the boy had been given about a thousand boam, enough to cover the celebration meal and treat Sanary to anything she might want if they got the chance to check out the town. After leaving, he had dashed back to the Guild, and picked up his Guardian Beast, who was still resting. Fluttershy hadn't come into the workshop until really late last night, and Silver had decided that she'd earned the right to sleep in.

"Hey, I'm here!" the brown-haired boy called out as he reached the docks. He found Sanary standing by a large cluster of crates. "Sorry I'm late!"

"Hmph, I should think so," she pouted. Silver couldn't resist a smile at how funny she looked right then. "It's not polite to keep a lady waiting!"

"Yes Miss Sanary," he joked. "I'll try to be more punctual next time…"

"Alrigh' ya two!" came Bron's voice from the first boat on the right. "Hurry up an' climb aboard! Me an' Cleru can't get this thing movin' by ourselves!"

"Wait, Bro is joining us?" Silver asked, crossing the bridge to get on the large ship. He looked around and saw his friend coming out of the ship's hold. "Morning Cleru!"

"Yeah, he's comin' along!" Bron smiled. "Ya didn't think it'd just be ya two, did ya? He has to work too!"

"Well, Master told me I'd get a new technique if I did this," Cleru confessed, coming over. "I need to get stronger, and fast. My fight with Chaves showed me how weak I was."

"I thought you did alright," Silver tried to reassure him.

"Chaves was actually cheating too," Sanary spoke up from beside the brown-haired boy. "The entire fight, he kept a hidden dagger in his sleeve. If you had broken his weapon, he would've attempted to stab you with the small blade."

"Wait, how did you notice the knife if it was in his sleeve?" Silver asked.

"I saw it glint a few times in the light," she answered, grinning.

"I'm guessing Master Sakuro didn't see it," Cleru commented.

"Actually, he did," the girl continued. "After the fight, I saw him drag Chaves straight out of the Central Tower, and dismiss him from the premises, saying something about being a disgrace to all Craftknights."

"Then why didn't he stop the match if he knew that guy was cheating?" the silver-haired boy questioned.

"Probably to see how you would do if placed in that situation," Silver answered. "Master Sakuro might've wanted to see how you would react when placed in that situation."

"Well it doesn' matter now," Bron put in, grabbing everyone's attention. "We need to get movin'! Cleru, get to work on the starboard side! Sanary, you're on the port side. Silver, man the wheel! I've got to finish the order in my workshop downstairs."

The man left the group alone, and they all looked at each other. With a shrug, Cleru went to his position. Silver gave Sanary a smile, and turned to the back of the ship where he was stationed. He started to walk forward, but a hand on his shoulder stopped him. He turned around to see Sanary looking at him.

"Um Silver?" she began. "When we get to Vance… would you… show me around?"

"…Sure," the boy smiled at her. "I'd love to. Besides, I still have to treat you for your victory earlier! I know of a good place to do that too! Maybe if Bron let's us take a little free time, I'll show you what I can. That sound good?"

"Yes," Sanary grinned. She waved as she went to her position. "I'll see you when we get there then!"

"Right," he nodded. The boy turned to his partner, and motioned for them to continue. "Shall we Fluttershy?"

I.I.I _Two Hours Later _I.I.I

After a long, and quite boring sail, the group finally made it to Vance. It had taken a little longer than Silver had initially thought, as Fluttershy had read the map a little wrong, and guided them past the town once. It had taken the boy a good twenty minutes to redirect the ship in the right direction. But now that they were finally at the port, and had safely docked, they all got together on the land.

"Well, that was annoying," Silver commented. "Why do sailors find it so fun to be out on the sea all the time?"

"Who knows?" Sanary shrugged. A cool breeze blew across the group, and the girl wrapped her arms around herself. "Brrr! It's cold out here!"

"…Here," the brown-haired boy said, removing his trench and placing it on her shoulders. "Vance is a good ways North, so they get cold winds all the time. My coat should help keep you warm. Let me remove the weights from the side pouches."

"…Do you always wear weighted clothing?" Sugar asked, watching him.

"No, just this thing," he answered, removing the fifth bar of metal. "If I wore weighted training gear all the time, I would be significantly stronger, but there are a few issues with moving quick then. I would have to remove all of my clothing if I needed to be faster, and that would take time to do. If it's just this coat, then I can toss it aside really fast, and not leave myself open during a fight."

"That makes sense," Cleru nodded. "I was wondering why you only had one piece of weighted gear."

"…Wow, this thing is actually pretty warm," Sanary said, sending Silver a grateful smile. "What's it made of?"

"Hmmm just some really good leather," the boy answered, thinking for a second. "I'm not entirely sure, since Miss Amariss bought it for me about nine months ago. It was a birthday gift."

"Oh that's right," the silver-haired boy remembered. "Mom gave it to you after handing you Master Claude's tag, right?"

"…Yeah," Silver nodded, placing a hand over his dog tags. His eyes watered up for a second, thinking about his parents. "…"

"Hey, let's go into town!" Sanary broke in, grabbing the boy's hand, and pulling him along. "I wanna see what it looks like!"

"Ey, get back here!" cam Bron's voice. "Ya can't leave the docks without my permission!"

"Sorry Master!" Silver called back, trying to keep up with his friend. "I'm kinda her slave right now, so…"

"Hey!" Sanary pouted. "You are not!"

"Really?" he laughed. "Then what am I?"

"My servant," she joked. "Sorry Master Bron, Silver and I have somewhere to be!"

"…Kids," the Silver Master sighed. "Fine then! Be back soon! Ya got one hour!"

"Thanks Master!" the brown-haired boy called back, still being pulled by Sanary.

The two of them made their way into the snow covered town of Vance, walking around and seeing what the place had to offer. Silver saw the weapon shop after a couple minutes, and found the restaurant just a little ways off to the left. He would've taken Sanary straight there, but she found a souvenir shop a little farther down their path.

"C'mon Silver!" she laughed, pulling at his arm. "I bet they have some cool things in there!"

They made their way into the shop, and were promptly greeted by the female store clerk. Sanary walked over to a shelf, and picked up a small sword necklace. She undid the clasp, and reached behind her neck, trying it on. As she finished, she turned to Silver, and held up a second one.

"Look, it's a matching pair," Sanary smiled. "One for you and me!"

"Would you like that?" the clerk asked. "We're having a discount today for couples. So that would actually be a very affordable price for once."

"Oh uh, we're not a couple," Silver blushed, turning away. "We were just…"

"Oh you don't have to be embarrassed," the woman laughed. "I can see it plain as day. You two look so lovely together."

"Actually, he's telling the truth," Sanary told the woman. "We're just friends… JUST friends."

"Yeah…" Silver sighed, stuffing his hands into his pockets. The way she said 'JUST friends' made it seem like she wasn't interested in him at all.

"Oh, well that's a shame," the clerk frowned. "Well, you two should maybe give it a try. You never know how things will work out."

"…I'm not into relationships," Sanary said, her eyes flashing for a second. She removed the necklace, and walked out of the shop.

"…Great," the boy sighed again. He picked up the two necklaces, and walked over to the counter. "I'll buy these anyway. Maybe one day…"

"Don't give up deary," the woman smiled at him. "Just be patient. Now then, since I can't stand to see such a sad face, and honestly I hope you can get that girl, I'll sell that to you for a reasonable price of three hundred boam."

"Heheh, thanks," he returned the grin, pulling out his wallet. "I appreciate it… And you're right, I can't give up yet."

The boy paid for the necklaces, pocketed them, and walked out of the shop. He found Sanary looking out at the sea under a pine tree covered in snow. Walking over, he sat down under one of the more heavily covered branches. Silver looked at his friend, only to see her eyes brimming with tears.

"Hey, what's wrong?" he asked.

"Its… nothing," Sanary told him, wiping at her eyes. "Sorry about walking out like that. I'm just… thinking about someone."

"It's alright," Silver smiled at her. "You've got your reasons."

"…Thanks," she returned. "Maybe one day… I'll tell you about it."

"Don't worry about it Sanary," the brown-haired boy reassured her. "You don't have to if you don't want to… I can wait…"

Silver said that last part so quietly, it was only heard by him. He blushed as he thought about the idea of him and Sanary… No! He couldn't think like that! The two of them could fight at any time in the tournament! Getting close to her now was a bad idea. Besides, she said she wasn't looking for anything like that. The only answer was to keep away from her…

"Hey Silver," Sanary spoke up. "We still celebrating?"

"Hmm?" he asked, breaking out of his thoughts. "Oh, of course! I said it was my treat, and I ALWAYS stick to my word!"

"Well, we might want to get going then," she told him. "Master expects us back at the docks in about forty minutes."

"Yeah," he nodded. "You're right."

Getting up, Silver extended his hand to Sanary once more. Even though he couldn't have feelings for her, he could still be a gentleman. As she came up, the girl reached out to a low-hanging tree branch, and pulled it out. A large pile of snow fell on top of the brown-haired boy, and his friend burst out laughing. As he got up, he couldn't help but make a little snowball, and toss it at her. Sanary got it with it in the face, and she fell onto her back, still laughing. Silver crawled over to her, and rolled onto his back.

"You are SO dead!" Sanary giggled. "I'll get you back for that!"

"Hey no fair!" he laughed. "You struck first!"

"Yeah, but I always have the last laugh," she smiled at him.

"Then I await your counterattack," Silver taunted. He got up and brushed off the snow. He pulled Sanary to her feet once more, making sure she couldn't get at any branches this time. "C'mon you, we need to get moving if we want to celebrate while we're here."

I.I.I _Thirty-Nine Minutes Later _I.I.I

"Okay, now where are Silver and Sanary?" Bron asked Cleru and the two Guardian Beasts. "We're about to leave port!"

"They're probably still walking around," the silver-haired boy shrugged. "Don't worry. I know Silver will be here soon."

"How about right now?" came the boy's voice from the other end of the dock.

"Master Silver," Fluttershy smiled, flying over to him. "Where were you?"

"Just… walking around," he blushed. "We were enjoying our break from the stress of being Craftknights!"

"Tha's understandable," Bron nodded. "But ya cut it a little close, didn't ya? We were about to leave without ya!"

"I wouldn't have," Cleru and Fluttershy protested in unison.

"Okay you two," Silver laughed. "Thanks for sticking up for us!"

"Right, now get on board!" their Master barked. "Ya need to get back to yer shops, and get forgin'! Who knows when yer next match migh' be called? Cleru, you're on starboard again! Sanary, you're back on the port side. Silver, I'm steering now, so go help one of yer friends."

The group split, going about their jobs. The brown-haired boy looked at his partner, and smiled. Cleru went about moving heavy objects, while Sanary was struggling with something just a little out of her reach. While Silver would've normally helped the girl without a second thought, the fact that he couldn't get close to her made him rethink it. Instead, he started for his friend, stopping to suggest his Guardian Beast help Sanary in his place. He walked over and put his strength under the large cable Cleru was lifting.

"Hey Bro, need a hand?" Silver joked. "Or are you trying to make yourself stronger?"

"Ugn, I could use the help," Cleru gasped, tiring out. "These cables… weigh a ton!"

"Hhn, y-yeah," the brown-haired boy agreed. "What're they made of, titanium?"

"C'mon, let's drop it over there," his friend suggested, using a foot to point towards a spot near the center of the ship.

"Gah!" Silver gasped, dropping the cable where his friend said. "How's that… for a workout?"

"Too much," Cleru answered. He smiled at his friend, and continued. "So… how was your date?"

"What date?" the boy asked, trying to dodge the question.

"You know!" the silver-haired boy pressed. "Your date with Sanary!"

"Shhh!" Silver stopped him. "Be quiet!… Anyways, it wasn't a date. We were just celebrating her first tournament victory…"

"Yeah, uh-huh," Cleru nodded, using that voice that said he didn't believe him. "That's why she was hanging off your arm half the time!"

"You stalked us?"

"No!" the silver-haired boy defended himself. "When me and Sugar walked out of the weapon shop, we saw you entering the souvenir store… Then we kinda watched you from the window for a minute, and saw how happy the two of you looked."

"So you WERE stalking?" Silver accused him with a smile. Then he sighed and looked out over the sea. "Yeah, things were going fine until that woman told us we'd make a cute couple. Then Sanary said she wasn't looking for a relationship, and just left the shop."

"Ouch!" Cleru flinched, feeling his friend's hurt. "Well, I'm sure things will get better."

"Don't get me wrong, I'm not done trying!" Silver continued. He pulled the two necklaces out of his pocket, and showed them to his closest friend. "One day, after all of this is over, I intend to try again. When I don't have to fight her in the tournament, as I know I might have to, I'll give her one of these, and test my luck! This… This necklace is a symbol of my resolve!"

"Good luck Silver," the silver-haired boy encouraged him. "That's the spirit!"

On the other side of the ship, Fluttershy, Sugar, and Sanary were having a similar conversation. It started by Cleru's Guardian Beast asking if she and her master would make a cute couple. At which point, the human girl walked a little away, leaving the golden pegasus to answer that question.

"I think you two would look nice together," Fluttershy smiled. She and Sugar were becoming good friends. "Is he warming up to you?"

"No, but we still have plenty of time together," Sugar shrugged. "He'll start to see things soon, I have no doubt about it."

"You're just wasting your time," Sanary snapped at them, moving one of the lighter cables. "Every moment you try to get a guy, you make yourself weaker."

"W-Why would y-you say that?" Fluttershy stammered, getting behind her friend.

"Did your date with Silver go bad?" Sugar ventured.

D-DATE!" the girl cried out, She blushed for a second before glaring at the pink-haired Summon. "That wasn't a date! We were just celebrating my win today!"

"But you two looked so cute together!" the Guardian Beast argued, floating back a bit. "And you were holding onto his arm like you were his-"

"DON'T, finish that sentence!" Sanary cut her off. "I'm not anyone's girlfriend, let alone my rival's! No, he wanted to treat me to a meal, and that's it!"

"So you're saying you feel absolutely nothing towards Silver?" Cleru's partner asked. The girl nodded, and Sugar smiled. "Good. If things don't work between me and Master, I could fall back on him! He seems nice enough…"

"S-Sugar, would you really do that?" Fluttershy questioned. Her friend gave her a look that said she might, but now was not the time to talk about it.

"Go ahead," Sanary told her, shrugging. She turned back to her work, and continued. "Like I said, I don't have feelings for Silver. I refuse to fall in love, with anyone!"

"But why not?" Sugar asked. "What's so wrong with liking someone?"

"Falling in love makes you weaker!" the girl snapped, tired of talking about this. "I've seen it happen already!"

"M-Maybe," Fluttershy said. "B-But sometimes… it gives you… something to fight for."

"As if!" Sanary scoffed. "Show me one person that's strong because they're in love. If you can show me that, maybe I'll give a second thought about it."

Fluttershy was silent, trying to think of someone. When she didn't give an answer, Sanary smirked, and returned to her duty. The golden pegasus looked at her friend, who only shook her head and shrugged. Not a single word was spoken for the rest of the trip back to Wystern…

I.I.I _Two Hours Later _I.I.I

Bron's ship finally docked back in the City of Swords, and everyone stepped off. The Silver Master handed a slip of paper to Cleru, and walked back to the Guild. Silver went up to his friend and looked at the technique. It was a schematic for an Iron Saber, a very basic but useful sword.

"So that's the new weapon he's giving you, huh?" the brown-haired boy asked. "Hope it helps!"

"It'll be better than my Amateur Knife," Cleru laughed. "C'mon Sugar, we're heading back to the workshop!"

The two of them were about to leave when a well-dressed man in brown came up to all of them. He had short spikey brown hair, and a monocle over his left eye. He looked kind of like a noble, but his mustache made him look a bit weird. It branched straight out to the sides, then shot up at an angle, sort of like a wide 'W'.

"Silver, Cleru, and Sanary," the man started. "Congratulations! You've all passed the first round! It's a pleasure to meet you. My name is Nigelle, and I represent the Gold Guild."

"And just what would such an important man want with us?" Silver asked, giving the man a suspicious glare.

"Ah straight to the point," Nigelle laughed. "I like that! Well, some of us at the Gold Guild are impressed with your works. In fact, we'd like each of you to work for us, right away."

"Are you serious?" Cleru exclaimed.

"This seems to good to be true," Sanary commented.

"We suspected that you might need some time to consider our offer." The representative continued. "In the meanwhile, I'd like to purchase some of your weapons. I assume that you all have something worth selling?"

"You want to buy our weapons?" Silver kept his glare on the man.

"Yes, I would." Nigelle answered, smiling at him.

"We'd be honored!" Cleru smiled. "And I'd love to sell you my stuff!"

"Hold on Bro," the brown-haired boy stopped him. "Maybe you should think this over before agreeing to any-"

"Excellent!" the Gold Guild representative cut him off. "I'd like to requisition ten Iron Sabers from you Cleru, five Novice Drills from you Silver, and ten Zantetsu Blades from you Sanary. To each of you, we will pay five hundred boam per weapon, except for you Silver. Since you would receive less in that sense, we will double the payment."

"So, you will pay each of us five THOUSAND boam, for a total of FIFTEEN THOUSAND?" Sanary exclaimed, her face lighting up.

"So we have a deal. Excellent!" Nigelle smiled. "Now if you'll excuse me, I must attend to other business. Let's meet here when you've crafted the weapons. Three o' clock sound good?"

The man walked away without getting an answer. Silver kept his eyes on him, not really sure what to believe. The offer was tempting, really tempting! But at the same time, it sounded too good. Why would the Gold Guild want their weapons? His crafts were still very amateur, as were Cleru's. Sanary was the only one that seemed worthy of that deal. But still, the fact that they wanted their weapons, and were willing to pay so handsomely for them, made the boy suspicious.

"It's my first order!" Cleru laughed, talking to Sugar. "I can't believe it! I've got to do my best!"

"Of course Master," he partner smiled. "Let's go to the Labyrinth and gather the materials!"

"…I don't know Fluttershy," Silver told the pegasus, watching them leave. "Something seems off about their offer. There are better Craftknights within the Guild to go to for weapons. I mean, my crafts are still not good enough for selling."

"I think you're selling yourself short," she reassured him. "Your drills are great."

"Maybe you should take some time to think about it," Sanary told him, walking away. "Try going into the Labyrinth and getting a little fighting experience. It'll help you think."

Silver was about to stop her, but once more he remembered that she was his rival, and they could easily fight each other in the next match. He watched her round the corner into town, and sighed. The reality of things hurt him. He simply stuck his hands in his pockets, and fiddled with the necklaces. The cold steel against his skin calmed his nerves.

"Let's go Fluttershy," Silver finally said. "We're heading for the Labyrinth. Even if we don't craft those drills, I can still gather materials for later forges."

His Guardian Beast nodded, and they began their trek back into town. As they approached the bridge that neared the path to Central Tower, Silver saw a boy in red and gold, looking out over the water. He had this determined look about him. He wore a red jacket with gold linings, and his hair was spiked back, also red with yellow streaks. He had these strange green eyes, with slit-like pupils, almost like a wolf's. Hanging from his side was a small axe, which was chipped in certain parts. A testament to it's usage in battle.

"You, can I help you?" the boy asked, grabbing Silver's attention. "It's rude to stare at someone."

"Oh sorry," he apologized. "Just, lost in thought."

"The best thing to do when thinking about something is to consult someone with experience about your problem," the red-haired boy advised. "Maybe I can help?"

"…Maybe," Silver agreed. "But I don't want to trouble you with my issues. You look like your occupied too."

"Nah, just taking a break from my crafting," the boy laughed. "Nigelle is driving me crazy with his freaking mustache too, so I just had to get away."

"You're from the Gold Guild?" the brown-haired boy asked, glancing at his partner.

"There isn't a problem with that, is there?" the other boy questioned him.

"No, just thinking about earlier," Silver answered.

"What happened earlier?"

Silver sighed, and looked at Fluttershy. Should he tell the boy about Nigelle's offer, and his suspicions? What if he went to the man, and the brown-haired boy lost his chance at the money? It was a great deal, and he knew that he could use the money! It would save him a few trips into the Labyrinth, since the shop in town also sold other materials, just for steep prices. The Guardian Beast just nodded, saying that voicing his concerns would be a good idea.

"Well," Silver began. "Nigelle approached me and my friends earlier. He offered to buy our weapons for good amount. But, thinking about it, the deal seems a little suspicious. Why would the Gold Guild want to buy my crafts, which are still very bad?"

"…That's it huh?" the boy asked. "Yeah, I can see why you might be worried about that…Can I see your drill?"

"Sure, if you'll let me check out your axe," Silver laughed, unsheathing his weapon. "That'd be fair."

"True enough," the boy handed his axe to him. "My weapon is still a little novice, but it's done me good in my first match."

"You made it through too huh?" the brown-haired boy asked, checking the work on the heavy weapon. "I beat my opponent too… Heh, this is pretty well made."

"Same as your drill," the boy told him, handing it back. He put the axe away, smiling. "I think I can understand why Nigelle might want to purchase your work… So, what's your name? Mine's Raven."

"Heh, nice. Call me Silver."

"You mean like, the son of Claude?" Raven asked, amused. "Yeah, I heard you beat that Cazio kid. He was supposedly one of your better fighters."

"How'd you hear about that?" Silver questioned, giving him a curious look.

"Well, my friend Varil told me about it," the red-haired boy answered. "He's got connections everywhere, and can learn just about anything. He told me that you could go far if you were only a little better at fighting. That, and didn't spend your time fawning over that Sanary girl."

"F-Fawning?" the brown-haired boy cried out, offended. "I don't fawn over her!"

"Hey, that's what Varil said," Raven defended himself. "I'm just repeating his words. I thought you had a right to know."

"I'd like to meet this kid!" Silver growled. "I don't care who he is, no one has the right to judge others so obnoxiously!"

"Truthfully, I agree," the Gold Guild member laughed. "But Varil is the best fighter around. He set the record for fastest time ever yesterday!"

"That was him? Oh, now I really want to fight him!" the brown-haired boy said, cracking his knuckles. Then he remembered something. "Ah crap! I can't do that right now! I have to get into the Labyrinth! I want those materials!"

"Alright then, good luck down there!" Raven called as the boy dashed down the path to Central Tower. "Maybe we'll meet in the arena some day!"

"I'll look forward to it!" Silver called back, giving a wave. "C'mon Fluttershy!"

"…Did he say Fluttershy?" Raven whispered, watching the golden pony glide towards her master. "Didn't my partner mention someone like that?"

The red-haired boy sighed, and began his trek back towards the second floor of Wystern, where his Guild hall was located. He would have to talk with his Guardian Beast about this encounter. She would be able to tell him about that… Fluttershy…

I.I.I _Five Minutes Later _I.I.I

Silver and Fluttershy made their way back to the second floor of the Labyrinth, defeating every slime and Gremlin that came their way. They were so slow to the human, considering how fast Cazio had been during that match. He easily mowed down the Stray Summons, finding materials as he went. Eventually, he approached the edge of the floor, and was greeted by the first obstacle: water.

"Good think I have my water scooter," Silver laughed. "If not for the fact that it's foldable, this would probably limit how far I could go down."

After crossing the water, and stumbling across a couple barrels that contained a few materials, Silver located the stairs down. As he reached the bottom of the last flight, he was greeted by more water. Sailing across on his ride, the boy discovered even more materials in barrels. Just where did they come from, and why were there precious crafting goods inside them? It confused the boy.

"Hey look Fluttershy,," Silver stopped his partner, pointing towards an orange round creature a little down their path. "It's a Pumpkeeno. Those things have a nasty bite!"

The said Summon was very basic. It looked exactly like a Halloween pumpkin, with the zigzag mouth, and triangle eyes glaring about. It jumped to and from, trying to find something. Fluttershy giggled, and it turned towards them. She squeaked, and flew behind her master.

"I forget to mention they have really good hearing," Silver laughed. "Oh well, let's see if it can fight good."

The brown-haired boy charged at it, and got low. He punched out with his drill, and caught the monster in the mouth. When he pulled the trigger though, nothing happened. The Pumpkeeno started to gnaw on the weapon, slowly digging it's teeth(?) into the metal. Silver slammed his drill into the ground, lancing the monster into submission.

"Don't try to eat my weapon," Silver growled at it. "…Huh?"

In the remains of the Pumpkeeno was a small ring. The boy picked it up, and smiled. It was a pumpkin ring! These things were special, mostly because they amplified the strength of the wearer. It wasn't much, but every bit counted to Silver. He put it on, and felt the power flow through him.

"Oh yeah," he laughed. "This should help us get moving."

The two of them continued along the path, slaying every single monster that crossed their path. It was easier with that ring on, and now Silver found his mind wandering about to his dilemma. What should he do about Nigelle? Should he take the offer, or refuse and dig deeper? The boy was about to reach a decision when he noticed a dull green, round object in his path.

"Is that… a Teleporter?" Silver asked his partner.

'I-I think it is." she nodded.

"Hmmm, it looks inactive," the boy commented. "So do I just stand on it and see what happens? Or maybe I should kick it?"

He stepped on it, and tried to warp back to the entrance. When nothing happened, he frowned. The boy slammed his foot down on it, and the thing lit up. So the thing was only activated after a hard impact? That was good to know!

The duo left the Teleporter and made their way farther along the path. They finally reached the next set of stairs, and were about to go down when they saw something off to the side. It looked like a giant, floating sword. In the center of it was a reddish glow, like it was some demonic power. That was a Spell Sword!

"Fluttershy, can you start casting those spells on me?" Silver asked his partner. "We're in for the fight of our lives!"

The golden pegasus double cast her Quick Move, and wind enchantments, making the brown-haired boy exceedingly powerful. The ring, his weapon, and those spells gave him enough strength to tackle anything that might stand in his way.

Silver came out of his spot and into view of the Spell Sword. It turned in his direction, the red in it's center glowing bright for a second. How was that thing able to see him without eyes? The boy shook his head, focusing on the fact that he needed to defeat it right now.

The Spell Sword flew at him quickly, and attempted to stab at Silver. He dodged, and lashed out at it with his drill. The apex of his weapon glanced off the side of the Summon, not even making it flinch. It turned in his direction, and raised itself about him. He rolled out of the way, just in time as it slashed where he was not a second ago.

Silver jumped into the air, and kicked the creature, not even making it budge. Just what made this thing so tough? He saw the red glowing in the center again, and had a thought. Maybe this thing was actually invincible, except for that one spot?

He lashed out at the Spell Sword once more, catching it in the red center. The creature stopped moving for a second, then spun and slashed at his arm. The drill was sent spinning to the ground, where it slid out of reach. Silver as forced back into a wall, unable to do anything now. Stupid! How could he think that just a single strike could defeat it?

"SILVER!" Fluttershy cried out.

The brown-haired boy saw the Stray Summon advance on him, and noticed a crack right along it's side, right where he struck earlier. So it wasn't invincible after all! He quickly reached into his pocket, and pulled out his last bandage. He slapped it over his arm, wincing as the sting traveled along his limb.

He quickly kicked at the Spell Sword, praying that his own strength would be enough to make it budge. His luck prevailed, and the creature moved to the left just enough for him to slip around. He dived for his drill, and quickly equipped it. With weapon in hand, he had a feeling he could win now! He got up and forced himself at the Summon, grabbing a hold of it's hilt. It struggled within his grasp, but he refused to let go. He repeatedly lanced at the thing with his drill, digging into it with each thrust. Eventually, the Spell Sword stop it's futile resistance, and went limp in his hands.

"…Whew!" Silver gasped, dropping the lifeless creature, where it clanged against the stone floor. "That was a close one."

"Oh S-Silver!" Fluttershy cried out, tackling him to the ground and hugging him tightly. "Please! Never do something so reckless again!"

"Heheh, sorry," the boy laughed. "But I thought this would be the perfect chance to get some special material."

Looking at the Summon, a few shards of blue ore could be seen within the center. Silver reached in, and scooped out a handful of the stuff. It glowed in his palm, radiating with power. He pocketed it and looked at his partner.

"You see, Spell Swords always contain Mystic Ore," Silver explained. "It's a rare material that can enchant a normal weapon with an element. Some Craftknights spend forever searching for this stuff, but never find it. That's because only 'Spell' Summons carry the material, and they're only found in the Labyrinth."

"How do you know all this?" Fluttershy asked.

"Master Bron has a Beastiary, or, a dictionary on Summons," the brown-haired boy continued. "While his isn't complete, it's still loaded with a good amount. I spent a few days learning as much as I could about the ones in there, that way I knew what I might encounter one day."

"Well, you might be slow like Cleru, but you certainly aren't as dense," came a female voice behind the duo. They turned around to see Sanary. "…Is that a Spell Sword?"

"Yeah, just beat it," Silver gloated , his exhaustion showing plain as day. "It was hard."

"I bet!" she laughed. "Was there any Mystic Ore?"

"Plenty," the boy smirked. "You're welcome to a bit if you want. I just wanted a small amount to fortify my next craft."

"Thanks," the girl smiled back, getting down beside him. She reached into her pocket, and removed a couple chunks of iron ore. "It wouldn't be fair, taking this without giving you something in return."

"Thanks," Silver said. "This should come in handy when Bron gives me my next technique.

"You're not going to sell anything to Nigelle?" Sanary asked, scooping out some of the Mystic Ore within the lifeless creature.

"Well, I'm not sure," he answered, turning his gaze to the water nearby. "I want to, but he seems really suspicious."

"…I'll let you in on a secret," the girl spoke up after a few seconds. "I think I'll sell him those swords."

"Are you sure?" Silver questioned.

"Yeah," she nodded. "It feels good, being recognized as a talented Craftknight, doesn't it?"

"True, you are," the boy laughed. "But I'm not. This Nano Rotor, it's pretty pathetic. Look at how shallow the ridges are, and how dull the point is. My work isn't worthy of anything yet."

"…You know," Sanary started, glaring at him. "I can't tell if you're modest or just can't take a compliment! It seems that every time someone praises you or your work, you just turn away!"

"Well, it's kind of embarrassing," Silver blushed. "That, and if I do start letting these compliments get to me, I'll get an overly large ego, and that'll just make me a target for someone."

The two of them sat there on the floor, just listening to the water move about. Fluttershy curled up in her master's lap, and began to breathe softly. Silver stroked her hair gently, smiling at her. As he did, his arm brushed his pocket, and the necklaces fell out, jingling as they hit the floor.

"You bought those?" Sanary asked, picking up the one she wore earlier.

"Well… Yeah," the boy nodded, embarrassed to be caught. He blushed and looked away. "That woman said she'd let me have them for a good price, and I couldn't resist the offer. I was gonna give you that when this tournament ended…You can take it now if you want?"

"…Thanks," she smiled at him, putting it on. She looked at him, and blushed. "Um Silver?… What do you… think of me?"

"Wh-What?" he asked, caught off-guard. "What do you mean?"

"Well," she blushed deeper. "It's just that, earlier I talked with Sugar, and she acted like the two of us went on a date…"

"…Heheheh, Cleru did as well," Silver laughed. "I told him we didn't but he clearly wasn't convinced."

"Sugar was the same," Sanary smiled.

"…But to answer your question," the boy looked at her, carefully picking his next words. "I think you're really cool, and really strong. If anyone can win this tournament, it'd probably be you. I know I'd have to bow out if we fought!"

"…You really think so?" she pressed. "Because I'm suddenly not sure if I could beat you."

"You're just saying that!" Silver teased. "You could completely thrash me if you wanted to!"

"…"

"You don't mean like that, do you?" the boy realized. Sanary shook her head and he blushed. "W-Well… I guess… I'd say I-"

"Um, please don't answer that," she cut him off. "I uh… need to go!"

The girl quickly got up, and ran straight for the Teleporter. She vanished in a flash of green, and Silver was left alone with his partner. The boy sighed, and let a single tear roll down his face. He blew it! It was pretty obvious, what with the necklace and the way he acted , that he liked her! She probably didn't want to see him, mostly because she would only see that boy that held feelings. Since she wasn't out for a relationship, she would stay away.

"I'm so STUPID!" he laughed pitifully. "I can't do anything right!"

The boy fell onto his back, and let his partner's soft breathing lull him to sleep. Before he lost consciousness though, a single thought ran through his head. Just why was Sanary blushing earlier? If she didn't have feelings for him, then she wouldn't really care, right?

"Man, I just don't understand women," Silver sighed, passing out.

I.I.I _Twenty Minutes Later _I.I.I

"Hey, Silver," came Cleru's voice beside the boy. "Wake up! You can't sleep in the Labyrinth!"

"Ugn!" he groaned. "What's wrong with doing that?"

"How about Stray Summons that will kill you?" Sugar scolded, slapping him in the back of the head. "You should know better!"

"…I guess you're right," Silver laughed. He looked at his watch, and gasped. He gently shook his partner awake. "C'mon Fluttershy! We've got to get back to the workshop! If we're gonna craft those drills, we need to do it now!"

"…You're gonna sell them to Nigelle?" Cleru asked.

"While I'm not entire sure about this, I just feel I need to," the boy explained. "The money could really help me out, and it's a chance to get better at crafting drills."

"…I've decided that I won't sell my work," the silver-haired boy frowned. "I know my work isn't good enough to sell, and I'm going to tell Nigelle right now."

"Okay Bro," Silver smiled at him. "It's your choice, and that man has to respect that. Just know that whatever you decide, I'm behind you."

"Thanks," Cleru grinned back. He looked at his Guardian Beast and got up. "C'mon Sugar, we've got an offer to refuse… Oh, before I leave, I need to ask something. Silver, do you have any iron ore? I found all this martial ore, but it's too much for me to use. I don't want to just waste it, so I'd be willing to trade."

"R-Really?" the brown-haired boy asked, incredulous. "Do you know how hard it is to get martial ore?"

"Well, I'll keep a little for later, but this is too much," Cleru shrugged. "You want some?"

"S-Sure!" Silver grinned, handing his friend a load of iron ore, and getting a slightly heavier ore in return. "This'll make crafting those drills easier!"

"Right, well I'm off," the silver-haired boy dashed away.

"…C'mon Fluttershy, we need to get moving too," the boy looked at his Guardian Beast. Then he shivered. "Wow, it's cold down here! My coat is-… still on Sanary…"

Realizing that his friend still had his trench coat, Silver burst out laughing. Was that weird, or just a delightful coincidence? Now he'd have to confront her to get it back. He wasn't going to just forget about the gift he got from Amariss! Oh, Fate is such a cruel mistress!

The duo made their way to the Teleporter, and Silver focused on an image of the entrance device. He felt a light tingling along his body, opened his eyes, and was promptly greeted by Sanary, her face just inches away from his! He was so surprised, he fell onto his butt, and forced the device to re-warp him back to the third floor. As he stepped off, his female friend came through.

"That's one way to get around," she laughed, a light blush on her face. "You really got me there!"

"As did you," Silver smiled. "What brings you back down here? Already finished crafting those swords for Nigelle?"

"Yeah, and then I realized I still had your coat," she told him. "I couldn't find you in your workshop, so I figured you'd be down here."

"I was actually on my way out," the boy explained, scratching behind his head. "I was gonna head over to the Guild, and start on those drills."

"So you will take his offer?" she asked, her eyes lighting up. "That's good, because I was going to help you make them! Master Bron told me I should focus on drills for a lesson or two, and just handed me a Novice Drill technique."

"That's strange," Silver thought aloud. "It's almost like he knew I was going to make them, and figured I could use the help."

"That, or he's trying to put you two together," Fluttershy joked beside her master. She giggled as both humans blushed.

"Uhhh, we should get going if we're going to meet the deadline," Silver suggested.

"Y-Yeah," Sanary agreed.

I.I.I _One Hour Later _I.I.I

Silver, Fluttershy, and Sanary walked out to the harbor, the two humans carrying large leather bags which contained the weapons they were selling. It was about three o' clock right now, the time that Nigelle said he'd meet them to complete the transaction. The brown-haired boy stopped right beside the cluster of crates, and placed his bag of drills on the ground. His friend did the same, her swords clanging as they made contact with each other.

"Zantetsu Blades," Silver sighed. "You really ARE a good Craftknight!"

"You're surprised?" Sanary smirked. "I've been at this longer than you and Cleru. It's only natural that I'd be making better weapons!"

"True," the boy nodded. "But Zantetsu Blades at really high up there. They're the swords most commonly used by armies, so each one has to be of a certain quality. If you're selling those, your skill at making them needs to be so far above where a normal Craftknight's is."

"Are you implying that I can't sell these?" the girl glared at him.

"O-Of course not!" Silver defended himself. "I'm just saying! I mean, I knew you were good at forging, but I had no idea your skill was that high up there!"

"Hmph!" Sanary pouted, that expression she wore made her look so cute to him. "It sounds like you don't have faith in my ability!"

"I never said that," he told her. "I know that you're a good crafter, and an even better fighter… Man, I hope I don't have to fight you anytime soon in the tournament!"

"…Same," she said after a few seconds. "I'd rather not hurt my friend…"

"Sanary, you wouldn't hurt me," Silver laughed. "You'd completely destroy me!"

"I would not!" she protested. "The idea of hurting you sounds terrible to me!"

Silver blushed when he heard that. Maybe he was crazy, but the boy was starting to think maybe she DID feel something! Why else would she have blushed earlier in the Labyrinth, when they were talking and when Fluttershy was teasing them? It just seemed that way! He quickly shook those thoughts away. Now was not the time to get emotional, and force himself away. He was here for one reason alone: to sell his weapons! Now where was that man?…

"Ah, I see you both have come with the requested items!" Nigelle called out to them, slowly making his way across the harbor. As he approached the trio, he pulled out two small pouches. "I'm glad to see the two of you made it. I have your money right here."

"Great!" Sanary exclaimed. She opened her bag, showing the man her weapons. "Here are the ten Zantetsu Blades, as promised!"

"…Here are my five Novice Drills," Silver answered in his monotone, revealing his own crafts, made with the help of the female Craftknight. He still wasn't entire sure about this.

"Excellent!" Nigelle grinned. "I'll just take a quick look at the craftsmanship…"

The Gold Guild representative started with Sanary's swords, picking up each one, and quickly looking it over. He finished up, and handed her one of the small pouches. She quickly opened it up, poured out the money into her hands, and began to count out each set of one hundred boam (For the sake of simplicity, let's just say that a hundred boam can be seen as a fifty dollar bill. In that sense, the two apprentices are making about $2500 for their weapons).

Nigelle moved over to Silver, and picked up the first drill. He ran his eye over the grooves and the ran a finger over the point. Then he stuck his hand inside, and tested the mechanisms. Naturally, the thing worked, as the brown-haired boy made sure by going over the technique Bron gave him. The man smiled, and repeated this process with the other four drills, running through them really quick.

"_There is no way he appraised my work that fast!"_ Silver thought, cocking an eyebrow. _"I've got a ba-a-a-ad feeling about this…"_

"Excellent work!" Nigelle grinned again. "The craftsmanship is a little rough, but the overall pieces are worthy of this purchase. Here you are Silver, your five thousand boam."

The man placed the small pouch in Silver's hands, and picked up the two bags. He walked away, the sets of weapons hefted over his shoulders. The brown-haired boy and his friend looked at each other, smiled, and started on their way back to the Silver Guild. The two of them started to talk about how they planned to use the money, slowly making their way towards the fountain in town.

"I plan on saving the money," Silver was saying. "Who knows? It could help when I need something really pricey later on in life! Right Fluttershy?"

"Y-Yes," the golden pegasus smiled at him. She turned towards the human girl, and continued. "What will you do with your share?"

"Hmmm," Sanary thought aloud, putting a finger on her lips. "I don't have any immediate uses for the money, so I guess I'll hide it away like Silver. If something happens to prevent our entry into the Labyrinth, I could always use the money to buy materials at the store."

"…You know," the boy started, reaching into his new money pouch. He handed a small stack of bills to her. "I actually owe you for the help in crafting those drills. If not for you, I probably wouldn't have finished in time, or learned a good deal about how to improve the designs. That being said, you are entitled to a part of my cut."

"…Are you sure?" the red-haired girl asked, looking from the money to him.

"Of course I'm sure! It's only fair… Oh yeah!" Silver continued, remembering something. "I heard recently that they plan to open up another shop on the second floor of Wystern! Supposedly, it'll have different materials and equipment than the one down here."

"Yeah, but it's near the Gold Guild," the girl pointed out. "The stuff there will probably be expensive."

"Still, it's a nice fact to know," he shrugged. "It could come in handy later on, if our store ran out of supplies."

"Hey, you two!" called out a really snobby voice as the group passed a house by the town fountain. "Are you both Craftknights?"

Silver turned around to see a young boy, maybe two years older than him, leaning against a wall with his arms crossed. He had short, spikey blonde hair, and wore a white outfit with blue in certain parts. It was that cocky kid from the opening ceremony! His blue eyes held that greedy gleam in them, making the brown-haired boy kind of annoyed. He had encountered their kind before, and knew what was coming.

"Who wants to know?" Silver asked him.

"The guy that plans to win the Craftlord Tournament!" the blonde laughed in an annoying tone. "If you're both Craftknights, I'd suggest dropping out. There is no way either of you could beat me!"

"Hmph!" Fluttershy huffed, surprising her master. He didn't realize she did angry or annoyed. "Confidence is good, but too much of it will end up hurting you! Try being more modest, like my Master!"

"I'm not really modest, I'm just a fool," Silver laughed.

"Sometimes I agree," Sanary joined in. "But you really need to learn how to take a compliment!"

"Whatever!" the boy in white snapped. "Just give up right now! I WILL win this tournament! The two of you would do better to just quit while you still have your meager pride intact!"

The blonde then walked away, that cocky grin of his never vanishing. Silver glared after him, getting the feeling that this wasn't the only time they'd ever meet. Fluttershy huffed once more, and that made the boy's building anger slip away. It was hard to be mad when that cute little pony acted like she was upset!

"One day I'm gonna put him in his place!" Sanary smiled at her friend.

"If you don't I will," Silver laughed. "We'll see who gets to him first in the tournament!"

The trio continued walking back to their Guild, only stopping to purchase a few recovery items at the store. It never hurt to have a steady supply of them, for when they entered the Labyrinth! Silver could testify that the monsters down there weren't a joke!

After a good ten minutes of walking, they all made it back to the Silver Guild. Sanary said good-bye as she entered her own workshop, saying that it'd been fun talking. The brown-haired boy smiled, as he realized that she was only two doors away from his room. Convenient! Walking into his chambers, Silver found an envelope lying on his bed.

"This is my next match notice," he commented, picking it up. He opened the letter, and started to read to his Guardian Beast. "Attention Silver, your next fight in the Craftlord Tournament has been scheduled for the time of four thirty this afternoon. Your opponent will be a member of the Gold Guild, a boy by the name of… Raven?"

"The one we saw earlier?" Fluttershy asked, looking up.

"I think so," Silver nodded. "Great! Something tells me this won't be easy. I need to get some work done on my drill if I want to win this match! He may have been using a basic axe, but it looked like he's had it for a while. That's a testament to how good his skills as a fighter are!"

"Ey, Silver!" came Bron's voice from the hall. "Ya in here?"

"Yes Master," the boy answered. "Please enter!"

"Ah, there ya are," the man smiled. "I came to see how yer holding up. I know tha' ya got a match soon, 'cause I saw the guy from Central Tower enter yer room."

"…Master, have you heard of a boy called Raven?" Silver asked.

"Yeah, he's one o' the better fighters in the Gold Guild." Bron told him, a confused expression on his face. "I think he's got one of the better times for winning a match…"

"…He's my opponent," the brown-haired boy sighed. "I have to fight him at four thirty…"

"Oh yeah?" the Silver Master started solemnly. "Then yer gonna have a hard time o' it. That Raven fellow is much stronger than Cazio, and twice as fast. Yer Nano Rotor won't beat his weapon. Ya need this new technique, called the Micro Turbine. It won't guarantee yer win, but it'll give ya a fightin' chance! Go grab some materials from the Labyrinth, and forge this."

Handing a slip of paper to Silver, the large man walked out of the workshop. The boy looked over the new schematic, and grinned. While the materials for this drill were considerably higher, it wasn't out of his forging range. He still had a bit of minerals left over from the forging of those drills, which would put him close to the amount needed in the craft. He just had to grab a few more bits of material…

"C'mon Fluttershy," Silver called his partner, who was resting on the bed. "We've got to return to the Labyrinth once more."

"A-Already?" she stammered, yawning cutely. "But we were only in there about an hour and a half ago!"

"I know," he sighed. "But if we're going to beat Raven, I need to craft this drill. He's seen my current one, and probably thinks I'll use it during the match. I bet he's getting a different axe or something ready, just to throw us off. Remember, these guys are out for blood almost! We have to keep on our guard, and always strive for the best!"

"Okay," Fluttershy yawned once more, making the boy smile.

"Heheh, thanks," he grinned at her. "I'll make it up to you, I promise."

I.I.I _Fifteen Minutes Later _I.I.I

The brown-haired boy and his partner were walking through Central Tower, heading straight for the Labyrinth. They would've been there sooner, but they were tired after everything they'd already done so far. Getting materials would be hard, as they'd have to travel farther into the maze than they had been before. The duo were about to start down the flight of stairs when a voice stopped them.

"Silver, Fluttershy!" came Sanary's voice. "Wait up!"

"Hey…what's wrong?" the brown-haired boy asked, seeing her worried expression.

"I've got bad news!" she huffed, looking exhausted herself. "How much do you know about the Gold Guild?"

"Only that they're a rival Guild, and are extremely wealthy," Silver shrugged. "Oh, and some of them have connections… Why?"

"I found out that some of guys that run it are little money-grubbing pricks!" she explained. "They're scamming people by buying off weapons for cheap from younger Craftknights, and overpricing them when they resell the things to other countries and towns, just to make a quick buck!"

"WHAT?" Silver and Fluttershy exclaimed at the top of their lungs, realizing what this meant. The boy lowered his head. "That means… I just…"

"Yeah, me too," Sanary said quietly. "Listen, we have to get them back! If we're quick about it, we might be able to get Nigelle to return our crafts! If our amateurish weapons are bought by an unsuspecting customer, it'll damage the reputation of ALL Craftknights in Wystern!"

"Right!" the brown-haired boy nodded, his face contorting to one of confidence and anger. "You go to the harbor. That monster might be going back to scam off some other unfortunate apprentice! I'll rush back to the Guild, and grab Cleru! We might have to fight, and the larger our numbers, the better the odds!"

"Okay," the girl agreed. She started for the door out, and called back to them over her shoulder. "I'll see you at the docks then!"

"Right!" Silver said. He turned to his Guardian Beast, and softened his expression. "Fluttershy, can I ask a favor of you?"

"Of course," she smiled at her master.

"Can you fly as quick as you can to Cleru?" he asked. "Tell him to rush to the harbor, and that it's really urgent. Tell him I need his help. Once you do that, stay there. You've worked too hard today, and need to rest up."

"O-Okay," she nodded, hardening her expression. "I'm off then!"

The golden pegasus flew out of the building incredibly fast, leaving Silver alone. He reached into his pocket, and pulled out the other sword necklace he bought today. Removing his tags, the boy strung them together on the same chain. Now there were three pieces on it. His tag from Katsumi, the tag his father Claude wore, and the small sword, the newest memory forged with his friend Sanary.

"I'm such a fool!" Silver cursed himself, gripping the pieces of metal around his neck.. "I had suspicions, but I didn't follow my heart! I let my greed control me, like an idiot, and fell for such an OBVIOUS trick! I'm a failure as a Craftknight, and now, I need to fix my mess! I'm sorry Mom, Dad, Sanary… I let each of you down! I won't make that mistake twice!"

The brown-haired looked, up, and broke into a sprint. He forced his way out of Central Tower, yelling at the civilians to move when he came close. His first priority was getting Cleru, and telling him the situation as they went to the harbor. Then, it was a matter of forcing that Gold Guild representative to give back those drills and swords!

"HEY! SILVER!" came Cleru's voice a few yards in front of the boy.

"Bro, good timing!" he called back. "C'mon, we're heading to the harbor! I'll explain as we run!"

The two broke into a mad dash for the piers on the other side of town. It took them a good ten minutes, leaving ample time for Silver to tell his friend about their situation. He didn't tell Cleru that Sanary sold her weapons though. Some things just shouldn't be revealed to rivals…

"We're just about there!" Silver huffed, starting to tire.

"Hey, I see Sanary!" the silver-haired boy exclaimed. "And she's talking with Nigelle!"

"I said, give them BACK!" she cried out, her anger flaring up.

"And I'll say," Nigelle argued. "For the hundredth time, you can't have them!"

"Sanary!" the brown-haired boy shouted, running up to them.

"Oh, Silver, and Cleru," the man said, his expression uneasy. "What a… delightful surprise."

"Drop the high and mighty act you little con artist!" Silver snapped. "We've seen through your ruse!"

"Yeah," Cleru broke in. "We know you're selling weapons made by apprentices, and claiming they're made by the best Craftknights in Wystern!"

"We at the Gold Guild are doing no such thing!" Nigelle protested, stepping back.

"Stop lying," the silver-haired boy continued. "I remember something a weapon store clerk in Vance told me today. He said that some rich merchants were going around, selling bad crafts, and claiming that each one was made by a master! I may not be the smartest guy around, but I know that your Guild is pretty wealthy! And since you were trying to buy our weapons, it all adds up!"

"I have absolutely no idea what you're babbling on about!" the Gold Guild representative glared at him. "Yet even if I did, we all had a deal! I purchased your goods!"

"Fine!" Sanary snapped, throwing her money pouch at him. "You can take your money back!"

"What?" Cleru exclaimed, surprised. "You sold him those swords?"

"Yeah, I was proud someone recognized my talent!" she confessed.

"But your crafts ARE good enough to sell!" Silver told her. "I've seen your work, and it looks great!"

"Maybe, but I didn't put my heart into it," the girl admitted. "They aren't my best work!"

"Regardless!" Nigelle broke in. "It's completely ridiculous that I should return your weapons! You two sold them, and I bought them! It was a very simple business transaction!"

"But my crafts aren't worthy enough to be sold!" the brown-haired boy protested, raising a fist to the man.

"Then you shouldn't have sold them to me!" the representative grinned maliciously.

"There's no need to be so harsh Nigelle," came a familiar voice from behind the cluster of crates.

Everyone turned to see the blonde from earlier walk out, his arms crossed and his eyes still holding that cocky gleam. On his back was a large, golden spear, glowing with what looked like a blue aura. Silver was trying to resist the urge to knock his lights out right then and there. This boy was working with that man, wasn't he? Just who was this kid?

"Master Varil!" Nigelle bowed.

"YOU'RE Varil?" Silver exclaimed.

"You know him?" Cleru asked, sending a curious glance at his friend.

"Not personally, but I've gleaned a few things from some people about him," the brown-haired boy explained. "He set the record for the fastest victory in the tournament's history. He also has connections everywhere, and has probably been keeping tabs on us!"

"He's the one that set the record?" Sanary questioned, never taking her eyes off of the blonde.

"Oh my…" Sugar gasped.

"So you're both ashamed of your crafts, and want them back." Varil sneered. "Is that right?"

"Yes!" Silver and Sanary told him in unison.

"Hmmm," the blonde thought aloud. "If you're true Craftknights, why don't you just fight me and take them back?… Oh wait! I know why! Because you'll never beat me with your pathetic excuses for weapons!"

"Don't you know what happens to children who sass their elder?" the red-haired girl asked. "They get spanked!"

"I'm SO gonna enjoy taking you down!" the drill-user grinned. "You just insulted my friend, and me! And ever since Raven revealed what you said about me, I've been waiting for this chance! Now, I get to curb stomp you, and break your pride! You're about to see why that cocky little attitude of your's will be your downfall!"

"You both talk too much!" Varil retorted. "Let's see if your meager skill can overcome a weapon in the hands of the best Craftknight in the Gold Guild!"

"Come at me then!" Silver challenged.

The blonde reached out behind him, and untied the knot holding his spear in place. The brown-haired boy unsheathed his drill, and started it up, gripping the handle and trigger really tight. He was going to have to fight harder than he'd ever done before. He didn't have Fluttershy to buff him with Quick Move, so he was on his own!

"Hold up!" Sanary broke in, stepping beside him. She cast a gentle smile, pulling out her own personal weapon. It was a Bastard Sword, an extremely powerful and durable blade! "You don't have Fluttershy, so you're at a disadvantage. You'll need my help."

"While I'd normally say I should do this on my own, I really can't complain about getting help," Silver laughed. "After the Labyrinth, that Spell Sword, and crafting all those drills with you, I'm amazed I'm still standing! I'd love to have you fighting beside me!"

"Okay you two!" Varil snapped. "Are we fighting or are you going to make out?"

"Hmph!" the red-haired girl pouted, making that face the brown-haired boy thought was cute. "This again! Why does everyone seem to think I'm dating Silver? We're…Just… FRIENDS!"

Without warning, she launched herself at the blonde, smashing into his spear and pinning him down. Silver disregarded the anger in her voice, and focused on the fact that their opponent was open for attack. He charged at the boy, and lunged for the shaft of his weapon. Varil kicked him in the stomach, and shifted to the side, where he spun his weapon and caught Sanary in the side. She was hit with a blast of water as the blunt, golden end hit her, and flew back about ten feet.

"SANARY!" Silver shouted, getting up and seeing her. Hr glared at the boy, and pulled his drill back. "You are SO DEAD!"

Something inside the brown-haired snapped, and suddenly everything moved in slow motion. Their opponent was wide open in several spots, and each one would give a good chance at disarming him. The blonde came forward, each step seen in very minute detail. Silver grinned, and charged forward as well.

The two met after a half-second, and their weapons collided. The Silver apprentice was hit with a blast of water when the spear made contact with his drill, and went flying back. He groaned, realizing that he was in WAY over his head. He was about to get up and try once more, knowing that giving up was the Coward's decision, when Sanary managed to sneak around and get a good slash at the boy's back.

GAH!" Varil cried out, stumbling forward. He moved a hand behind him, and felt his warm blood ooze into his palm. "You are going to pay for that! Nobody makes me bleed my own blood!"

"Then you may personally call me 'Nobody' from now on," Sanary taunted. "Because I just cut your back to ribbons!"

"And I'm about to destroy your spear!" Silver cried out, his drill impacting the golden shaft of the blonde's weapon. The point forced a large crack to run along the majority of it.

Varil backhanded him, causing the boy to smash headfirst into a crate. His vision dimmed, and a loud ringing became the only sound he could hear. Why was he always getting hit like this? Silver was vaguely aware of someone rushing at him, and he jumped to his feet. He couldn't tell who it was, and so tried to defend from a possible attack.

"Wait it's me!" Sanary cried out, her voice excited and confused at the same time. "Can't you tell?"

"Ugn, not really," the boy groaned, sheathing his drill and falling to his butt. "That last hit knocked my vision out the window!"

"…Here," came her voice beside him. He felt something warm and wet rub at his eyes, then he could suddenly see again. "That should do it."

"Whoa," Silver shook his head, blinking rapidly for a second. "What'd you do?"

"Just licked my thumb and rubbed it over your eyes to clear away anything that could've gotten in them," she smiled.

"O-Oh, thanks," he blushed. Then he remembered that they were in a fight. "Hey, what about Varil?"

"He's done," she answered, pointing to where the boy was. "Your drill sent a large crack so deep into his spear, that I just had to hit it a little harder than normal, and it broke into little pieces."

Looking where she was pointing, Silver could see the blonde on the ground, panting and holding the broken remains of his weapon. His eyes no longer held that arrogant gleam, but instead one of rage and confusion. He clenched his fists together and got up.

"Master Varil!" Nigelle exclaimed.

"How… could this happen? The blonde asked, stupefied.

"You've… lost Varil," Silver huffed, exhaustion tugging at him once more. "Now be a man…and fork over the weapons!"

"Wow!" Cleru gasped, coming over. That was amazing you two! You both fought with such flair! I kind of envy you both!"

"Well Sanary…did most of the work," the brown-haired boy laughed. "I just set her up…for the finishing strike."

"But if you hadn't lanced his spear, I'd have never broken it!" she argued back, lightly slugging him in the arm. "It was your drill that got us the win!"

"How could you lowly fools beat me?" Varil spat. "And how could you beat the weapon of a Craftknight?"

"I'm guessing you didn't craft that thing?" Silver smirked. "Heheh, we'll never lose…to someone who only uses… another's weapon… as a tool for their personal gain."

"H-Hey Silver," Cleru stopped him. "You're not looking so good! We need to get you out of here!"

"Just, take me to… Central Tower," the boy gasped. "I have a match soon… I can just… rest there."

As the silver-haired boy picked up and supported his friend along the path out of the harbor, Sanary cast one last glare at the two Gold Guild members. She smirked and pointed to the pouch of money she tossed at Nigelle earlier.

"There's your money," she spat. "Maybe you can buy some dignity with it!"

"You're just jealous that I'm richer than you could ever dream of being!" Varil retorted. "…But why? Why did I lose to you and that peasant boy?"

"Weren't you listening to Silver?" the girl sighed. "Listen good this time, you brat! You can't fight your best using another person's craft! You have to fight with something you made! Otherwise, you're just holding yourself back!"

"Get out of my way!" the blonde snarled, shoving her to the side. Nigelle followed close behind.

As Sanary fell, she let out a cry that caught Silver's attention. He turned, saw her on the ground, and suddenly his energy was back. He equipped his weapon again, started it up, and stopped them from passing. His eyes were furious, and they had this darkness to them that actually made Varil flinch.

"How DARE you!" Silver snarled, all of his anger contained in those three words. "You act so arrogant, try to swindle away money from the unsuspecting, fight and LOSE without dignity… and now you assault Sanary just because your upset? I should hurt you both right now!"

If one looked at the boy's arm that held the drill, they would see it was shaking really badly. If they listened closely, they'd hear the sounds of metal being crushed, and the actual whirring of the device slow down. He was gripping the weapon so tightly, he was starting to destroy it!

"W-Whoa," Varil stammered, actually afraid now. "I didn't hurt her! I just… pushed her!"

"Just… as… bad!" Silver growled. "Never… hurt my friends!"

"Okay there Silver," Cleru tried to soothe him. This was starting to get out of hand. "He gets it. Put the drill away…"

"…Bro, can you guide me over to Sanary?" the brown-haired boy asked with a sigh, his entire body shaking with the effort of calming down. " I don't think I can walk that far on my own yet."

"Sure," the silver-haired boy smiled. He pulled his friend to the side, allowing Varil and his accomplice to get by, and guided him to the girl.

"You okay?" Silver asked extending a hand to Sanary.

"Y-Yeah," she blushed, having seen what occurred just seconds ago. Who knew that a person could go so crazy when their friends were in danger?

"I'm sorry you had to see that," the boy apologized. "I'm normally in complete control of my anger, but when heard you, and then saw you on the ground, with that… thing!… coming this way… I just snapped. I refuse to let my friends, any of them, get hurt. Especially not one of my closest friends…"

This caused both Silver and Sanary to blush. The girl recalled her conversation with Fluttershy on the boat earlier today, and remembered what she said. '_Sometimes having someone to fight for gives a person strength…'_ She realized now, that maybe it was the truth. The brown-haired boy had become so enraged when she fell, and had lost all of his exhaustion within his anger. Was it possible? Could someone really find strength when they had someone to fight for?

"Guh!" Silver gasped, his legs buckling. He collapsed beside Sanary, unable to keep himself steady. "I… I guess I… did too much today."

"Geez," Cleru sighed, shaking his head. "Someone need to learn about restraint…"

"Yeah," the boy laughed. "But… this was all… worth it."

"Please, stop talking," Sanary told him, placing a hand over his eyes. "You need to rest now. We'll take you back to the Guild, just sleep."

"S-Sorry, but I… can't," he replied. "I've… got a match… in thirty minutes. Me and… Raven… have to fight!"

"Raven? Like, the one from the Gold Guild?" the girl asked. "You can't fight him, not like this! He's almost as good as Varil!"

"R-Regardless," Silver gasped, forcing himself to a sitting position. "I refuse… to be seen… as a coward! I'll go… and fight him… to my… last…"

The brown-haired boy didn't get to complete his sentence, as his eyes glazed over, and the exhaustion claimed him. He fell back, his eyes slowly closing, and his hearing vanishing. Taking one last look at his friends right before his vision vanished, Silver saw Sanary's worried expression, and he passed out…

I.I.I _Twenty-Eight Minutes Later _I.I.I

"C'mon Silver, wake up already!" sobbed a female voice beside him.

"Leave 'em be Fluttershy," ordered a heavy voice a little farther back. "The kid overworked himself, and if he doesn't sleep, it could kill him. I'm surprised though, did all of that really happen?"

"Yes Master," answered a young boy's voice. "It was thanks to Silver's last attack that Sanary managed to win…"

The mentioned boy groaned as he regained consciousness. He opened his eyes to find his Guardian Beast just inches away from his face, her Angel form active. Her blue eyes were brimming with tears, like she had been crying, but her expression was a happy one. Immediately, Fluttershy threw her arms around him, locking the boy in a death hug.

"Oh Silver!" the Angel girl cried out. "I was SO-O-O worried! Cleru and Sanary came back with you over their shoulders, they told us what happened, and then you wouldn't wake u-"

"Easy Fluttershy," Sugar stopped her, unraveling the girl's arms, and letting Silver breathe once more. "He just regained consciousness. No need to knock him back out already…"

"Glad to see you're gonna live," came a friendly voice a little off to the side. He turned to see Sanary smiling at him. "I was starting to think you entered a coma or something!"

"Wh-What happened?" Silver asked, looking at everyone in the room.

By the looks of things, he was back in his workshop, and had all of his friends, Cleru, Sanary, Fluttershy, Sugar, and Bron. His friends started to tell him what happened, saying that he had been so exhausted, that sleep claimed him on the spot. Then they told him how the two humans carried the boy all the way back to the Guild hall, where the whole event from earlier was explained to their Master.

Silver blushed when they got to the part where Sanary and Cleru brought him back. The red-haired girl had carried him all the way home? He gave her a grateful smile, to which she blushed and turned away. Evidently, she still didn't want to start anything…

"Hey, what time is it?" Silver asked, remembering something.

"About… four thirty," Bron answered.

"NO!" the boy cried out, catching them by surprise. He quickly forced himself to his feet, looking around for his drill. "I've got a match RIGHT NOW! I have to get going! Ugn!"

Silver clutched at his side, where he had been kicked by Varil. Did he have a broken rib or something? He tried to fight the pain, and managed to stand up, but his legs wobbled, and Cleru forced him back into his bed. Though the boy struggled, his attempts weren't strong enough to free himself.

"Silver stop!" Bron ordered him. "Yer not well! I had a doctor look ya over. He said ya got three broken ribs, and a bit o' internal bleedin'. Ya can't fight Raven like that!"

"Master, I'm going," the boy growled at the man, catching him by surprise. "I refuse to be seen as a coward, or a weakling, because I didn't show up for my fight! Yeah, I'll probably lose, but at least I'll have tried! If I don't even do that, then I can't call myself a Craftknight!"

"You're not going!" Sanary argued, glaring at him. "You can't even stand! Besides, even if Master was to let you fight, you'd never get there in time! The distance between our Guild and Central Tower is too large for a single, injured person to cover in a matter of minutes!"

"Not if… Fluttershy uses Quick Move on me!" Silver gasped, panting heavily. He tried to struggle out of his friend's hold once more.

"Geez! You just won't give up, will you?" Cleru asked, shaking his head. "Sometimes you're more stubborn than me!"

"… Fine," Bron said after a few seconds. "Cleru, let him go."

"But Master-"

"He's made up his mind, and won't let anything stop him," the man cut off his student. "The only thing we can do is just support him."

Reluctantly, the silver-haired boy released his friend. The drill user sat up once more, wincing as his side sent a jolt of pain through his body. He looked at everyone in his room, and smiled at them. He was truly blessed, having so many people that cared so strongly for him!

"Th-Thanks Master," he grinned at the large man. "I won't… disappoint you!"

"Better not," Bron laughed. "Now get movin'! Yer gonna be late!"

"Wait," Cleru stopped him once more. "Before you even consider fighting Raven, you should think about who you'll take to fight beside you."

"Well, I was gonna take Fluttershy, like I should," Silver rolled his eyes. "Why? Should I use someone else?"

"Fluttershy can't fight," Sanary told him. "You even told Cazio that before your first match! If you go against Raven in your condition, with her beside you, then the fight is already lost. She won't hurt them, and you're already on your last legs!"

"…When you put it like that," the boy said solemnly. "It sounds like I don't have a chance in the world… But, I can't take anyone else with me!"

"Yeah you can," she continued. "The rules state you are allowed one partner to fight alongside, be they Guardian Beast or otherwise!"

"Really?" Silver asked, looking between his friends. "But, how am I supposed to decide who I want to join me?"

"That's yer decision," Bron told the boy. "Ya get to choose from Cleru or Sanary, since it'd be kinda cheatin' for me to fight."

"…Fluttershy, are you okay with this?" he looked at the Angel girl. "I feel that you should have a say."

"I-I don't mind," the Guardian Beast blushed. "I think it would be better if you picked someone else…Just promise you'll be careful?"

"Okay, so long as you're fine with it," Silver said. He smiled as he continued. "And don't worry, I'll make sure I'm careful."

He turned his gaze to his human friends, switching between the girl and boy. How was he going to pick? Both of his friends had such unique things about them that would make any fight much easier! There was Cleru, his closest friend, who he had trained alongside, and developed a fighting style based on how he moved in relation to his opponent. He was decent with a sword, and while that was all he really needed to distract Raven, something didn't seem right about it.

Then there was Sanary, who was a much better Craftknight than both of the boys! She could easily take them down, when they were working together and she was alone! Her skill with a sword was unmatched by almost any other fighters in the Silver Guild. She would be able to not only distract Raven, but possibly defeat the boy while Silver was trying to keep himself alive.

"I pick… Sanary," the brown-haired boy decided. He turned to Cleru, and smiled. "I know that I can win this, and while you're is a good fighter Bro, I need someone that can help cover for me. We're at the same level, while she is a league above us. If anyone, it should be her who has my back in this fight."

"I understand," Cleru nodded. "Raven could completely trash me, or I could slip up somewhere and he'd be able to finish you…"

"Don't say it like that!" Silver countered, placing a hand on his friend. "You're good, you really are. But Raven is better than both of us, and so is Sanary. Please Bro, don't think it's against you."

"No, I get it," the silver-haired boy smiled. "I guess I'm just envious that you fought Varil earlier. I was gonna make him give those weapons back when he insulted you. I guess I just didn't get the chance."

"…C'mon Silver, we need to get moving," Sanary broke in. "Fluttershy, can you please cast Quick Move on us?"

The Guardian Beast nodded, and the two humans glowed green for a second. A small wind formed at their feet, and suddenly Silver's legs felt stronger again. Sanary grabbed him by the arm, barely giving him time to grab his drill, and they began their run towards the Central Tower. It took them five minutes to reach the arena doors, where the guard stopped them.

"Are you Silver?" the man asked. He took the envelope from the boy, and nodded. "Okay then, you're quite lucky. We were just about to have you forfeit. Hurry up and get yourself in the arena. Master Sakuro must see you within the next thirty seconds or he will call Raven out as the winner by default."

The two humans dashed through the dark hall, and onto the stage, where the boy in red, and the Craftlord in blue stood. Silver came over and nodded to the boy. They locked eyes for a second, and he could feel the determination and confidence the Gold Guild member was exuding.

"Craftknight Silver, you're late," Sakuro commented, giving him a stern look.

"I apologize Master," the boy huffed, exhausted. He turned to Raven and smiled. "I just…had to solve a…little dilemma first."

"It must've been rough," the red-haired boy commented. "You look like you're about to pass out!"

"Let's just say…I found myself on…the wrong end of a golden spear," Silver laughed.

"Right, will you both call your Guardian Beasts?" Sakuro looked at the two of them.

"I will be taking the place of Fluttershy, and act as Silver's partner," Sanary spoke up.

"Very well then," the man nodded. He turned to the other boy. "And you Raven?"

"I'm kinda disappointed Silver," the boy laughed. "I wanted Fluttershy to meet my good friend! Alright, you can come out here now!"

He turned to the dark corridor behind him, and out stepped a little gray pegasus. She had a short blonde mane, and her eyes were a stark amber. But the confusing thus were the positioning of her eyes! They went in opposite directions, her left eye going left and up, her right eye going right and down.

"Meet Ditzy Doo," Raven introduced her. "She's my partner, and is also from Equestria."

"…Heheheh," Silver chuckled. "After this is settled, you and I are going to have a chat, with our Guardian Beasts there."

"I'll bring muffins!" the gray pegasus exclaimed happliy, causing the boy to give her a weird look.

"What, she likes muffins!" Raven shrugged.

"Are you both ready?" Sakuro broke in.

"Yes Master," Silver nodded, as did his opponent.

"As Craftknights of Wystern, fight with honor and dignity!" the Craftlord of Sapphire shouted, raising his sword. "The tenth match of the tournament… Raven versus Silver! Fight!"

Sakuro slashed, and the red-haired boy charged forward, his weapon drawn back. Silver tried to move, but his ankle gave away, and he stumbled. Sanary stepped forward, and blocked the attack. No at an angle, Silver could see that Raven was using a pair of knuckles!

"So, you just carry that axe to trick anyone you might meet before a fight!" the boy commented.

"Heheh, I bet you fell for it!" Raven laughed good naturedly. "But this is how I work! No one gets to see my weapons before a match!"

"Enough talk!" Sanary snapped, pushing him back.

She raised her sword over her head, and brought it down on the boy. He blocked with his knuckles, and a burst of electricity ran along her sword and down her hands. She cried out in pain, and Silver forced himself to his feet. He gripped his drill tighter, and slowly charged at Raven. He punched out with his weapon, the boy blocking each slow, sluggish attack. He jumped back after a few more blocks, and grinned at the brown-haired boy.

"You said you went against a golden spear earlier," the red-haired boy started. "Does that mean you met HIM?"

"Unfortunately," Silver laughed weakly. "Me and Sanary here managed to break his weapon, but I still took a kick to the stomach, a blast of water to the face, and got to experience what a bitch-slap feels like! If not for Sanary, I'd have completely lost that fight…"

"He's just saying that," she groaned, getting up. "Great, a knuckle user that has a lightning enchantment forged into his weapon!"

"How bad is that?" the brown-haired boy asked.

"Since neither of us are wearing rubber, any contact with his weapon will zap us," she explained. "The only way to counter it would be with something that can absorb electricity."

"…Like a drill?" Silver ventured.

Sanary looked at him, then his weapon, and her expression lit up. She nodded, and placed a hand on his shoulder. To him, this was the best fight ever! He and his crush were taking on a powerful opponent, who also had a pony from Maetropa/Equestria! The boy pulled the trigger on his weapon, and it slowly spun to life, much weaker than normal.

Oh, right! After that little event with Varil, Silver had nearly crushed his weapon out of sheer anger at the blonde's actions. The boy must've crushed the sensor that was attached to the trigger, which would register how much power to use when operating the drill.

Deciding he could regret this later, he shrugged and slowly rushed Raven. Silver's side kept hurting, slowing each step down, and forcing him to stop altogether at times, Finally, he and the red-haired boy met and they started to exchange blows. The Silver member punched repeatedly, slowly forcing dents into the knuckles of his opponent Raven was forced back a few steps, but never did he allow himself to get near the water. Each time he saw the distance on the other side was too much, he sidestepped and lunged at the boy.

Sanary deflected all the attacks that came from the sides, careful to avoid making contact with Raven's knuckles. She used the hilt of her sword to knock him across the shoulder, causing him to flinch. The trio repeated this process for a good minute before Silver realized that they weren't getting anywhere like this.

"C'mon, break already!" he growled at Raven's weapons.

Then the boy started to notice something about his drill. It was slowly regaining speed after every punch. Each time the weapon made contact with his opponent's knuckles, a spark of electricity leapt from the second to the first. The drill was siphoning power from Raven's equipment!

Realizing that fact, Silver smirked, and lashed out with every ounce of strength he had. Each thrust was starting to impact harder, and cause cracks to cover the knuckles. Soon it looked like they would break, and it would only take one more hit. Just as that strike was about to be delivered, Raven performed an uppercut, detaching the drill from the boy's hand. It was sent across the arena, and stopped near the edge. It teetered precariously, but didn't slip into the water.

But the red-haired boy wasn't done yet! He went on the offensive, starting to strike Silver directly. Each punch struck him hard, made worse by the electricity shooting through his body. The brown-haired boy was knocked back onto the floor, where he didn't move.

"SILVER!" Sanary cried out. Her anger tipped, and she rushed their opponent. "How… Dare… YOU!"

She slammed her sword into Raven, each slash filled with unrestrained rage. She didn't even wince as pain arced through her body whenever the knuckle user blocked. She hammered away at him, his weapon still maintaining form amazingly. Finally, the boy managed to slip past her assault, and deal a potentially crippling blow to her stomach. She cried out and fell to the ground, dropping her sword.

"S-Sanary!" Silver gasped, holding his side in pain. His eyes filled with tears as he looked on. "P-Please… get up! You've got to… Please!"

Though he called out to the girl, she didn't respond. The boy could tell she was still alive by the rise and fall of her shoulders. He gave a sigh of relief as he realized she had only lost consciousness. But he was still in the middle of the fight with Raven, his toughest opponent yet, and probably the one that would win this match. He lowered his head, starting to lose his faith…

"Silver!" called out a familiar voice from the audience. He managed to turn towards them, and saw it was Fluttershy. "You can do it! Don't give up yet!"

"_Don't give up…"_ the boy thought to himself. _"How can I not give up when it seems so futile? He's taken away my weapon, knocked out Sanary, and I'm almost dead! Stupid! I just couldn't let go of my pride! If only I had just a little more power…"_

"D-Don't give up Silver," gasped someone just feet away. The boy looked, seeing Sanary had managed to regain consciousness. She was reaching out for her sword, but her purple eyes were on him. "We can… still… win this… together."

"…Together," he whispered, feeling just an ounce of his energy returning. He clenched his fists, and forced himself to his knees. "Together!… You're right Sanary! I can't… let this be my end!"

Feeling a second wind coming on, Silver glared at Raven. He managed to stand up, his legs wobbling with the effort. He made a mad rush towards the boy, who reared back a fist to punch him. Just as it seemed the two would collide, the brown-haired boy sidestepped, weaving around his opponent. He leapt for his drill, and hit the ground, almost falling over the edge in the process.

"Sanary! Can you still fight?" Silver called out to the girl, equipping his weapon once more.

"I've got enough in me to go a little farther," she answered, getting to her knees. She pierced the floor with her sword, and used to haul herself up. "How about you?"

"I'm ready to end this," he laughed, turning towards the Gold Guild member. He aimed the drill at them, and made it spin to life. "Raven, this next attack will decide the winner of this match!"

"Right," the red-haired boy nodded, his emerald eyes gleaming. "Either my knuckles will break, or you will pass out… A perfect way to end this fight."

Silver cast one last glance at Sanary, who had forced herself into an attack stance. She looked at him, and nodded slowly. The look in her eyes said everything. It all boiled down to this last moment, where two would either defeat one, or be defeated by a single punch…

Gathering all of his energy left in his meager reserves, Silver sluggishly charged at Raven. Sanary followed, close behind him. The red-haired boy reared back his fists, prepared to unleash all of his power into this single attack. As he did though, a blue glow surrounded his weapons. Evidently, Ditzy had enchanted them with what looked like water, meaning the two weapons were now double attributed. If they struck Silver, it would most likely kill him…

"RAHHHHH!" the boy cried out, throwing the best punch he could muster with his drill.

"HYYYAAAA!" Raven shouted, launching his fists forward.

"HAAAA!" Sanary roared, slashing with all her might.

A flash of light blinded the entire audience as the weapons made contact. The sound of something breaking could be heard, followed by the sound of a splash, and the cry of a single boy. The light died to show one person standing: Sanary.

She stood there, her weapon completely gone. Beside her was Silver, lying on the ground with a shattered drill. He wasn't moving, and that caused the crowd to go silent. Nearby, Raven was in a similar state. His knuckles were also broken, but he looked to be breathing…

"Silver!" Sanary whispered, getting on her knees. She shook him violently. "C'mon Silver, get up!"

The boy didn't stir. His body was soaked, and bits of electricity could be seen arcing across his chest. Yet even though it looked to be extremely painful, the brown-haired drill user remained still. Sanary's eyes started to water up, and she let her anger tip.

"WAKE…UP…YOU… IDIOT!" she sobbed, punching him weakly in the face. Her knuckles started to bleed when she began to miss, thanks to her vision clouding over. "Please Silver… wake up…"

"…"

"Oh no," Sugar gasped beside her master. "Is he… dead?"

"He…He can't be," Cleru whispered. "I mean, it's Silver… He defeated Varil and Cazio. There's no way he'd get taken down like this…"

"M-Master," Fluttershy stammered, her own eyes brimming. "PLEASE MASTER SILVER! WAKE UP!"

"…The winner is…" Sakuro started, lowering his head. "The… winner is-"

"DON'T FINISH THAT SENTENCE!" Sanary shouted at him. "It's not over yet!"

"…I," Raven whispered, seeing all of this in front of him. "I didn't kill him… Did I? Please no… This isn't how the fight was going to end. He has to live! DITZY!"

The gray pegasus flew over to her master, amber eyes watering. She couldn't fight, much like Fluttershy, and had taken to watching from over the water. When it came down to the last strike, she had felt an enchantment was in order, so her master would win. Now, Ditzy was starting to blame herself, thinking that her spell was the one that placed the boy so dangerously close to Death's door.

"M-Master?" she asked, crying slowly.

"You've got to… do something," Raven ordered her. "Use that one spell! The healing one! Maybe… there's still a chance…"

With a nod, the gray pegasus approached the motionless body of Silver. She closed her eyes, and placed her hooves over the boy. They began to glow blue, as the magic started to flow over him. Sanary just watched, not actually conscious. There was no way he was dead… right? Just earlier the two of them had defeated Varil, who was supposed to be tougher than Raven! Silver couldn't have lost to this guy!

"Please wake up," Sanary sobbed quietly, falling to her side. "Please… wake… up…"

"…Wake up!" one of the audience members shouted. "Get up Silver! Get up!"

"You can't die on us!" Sugar joined in. "You still have to be the best man at our wedding!"

"You promised you'd be careful!" Fluttershy cried. "YOU PROMISED!"

"Please don't die Silver," Ditzy Doo whispered, forcing out every ounce of magic she had. "If you die, I'll never be able to forgive myself!"

"You've got friends waiting on you," Raven gasped. "What kind of guy would leave them behind? Are you giving up so easily?"

"ENOUGH ALREADY!" Sakuro snapped, silencing everyone. "It's over… Craftknight Silver will not be-"

"JUST SHUT UP!" Sanary cried out at the top of her lungs. "HE'S NOT DEAD! SILVER WOULDN'T BE TAKEN DOWN SO EASILY!"

"Yeah!" Cleru joined in. "My brother can't be beaten like this!"

"YOU THINK I WANT TO MAKE THIS CALL?" Sakuro shouted at them. "YOU THINK I WANT TO SAY THESE WORDS? I"D RATHER TAKE MY OWN LIFE THAN SAY THIS!… Craftknight Silver… is dead! He will not… be advancing to the next round… There is nothing more to be said…"

"NO!" someone in the audience cried. "GET UP SIVLER! GET UP!"

Soon, the entire arena was filled with the sound of 'GET UP SILVER!' Ditzy continued to drain all of her magic, wishing for him to just twitch at least! Sanary just watched the lifeless boy, her sobs quiet compared to the audience's.

"You've got to get up!" she whispered, tears running down her face. "You've got to… Our fight… and then my victory… Please Silver! IF YOU DIE I'LL NEVER FORGIVE YOU!"

She ran her fingers through her hair,, wishing for something to change. Ditzy's own sobs were starting to distract her, and the spell started failing. The blue light around Silver flickered a few times, before dying out completely.

"I can't…" the gray pegasus gasped, too weak to continue. "I've… got nothing left…"

One by one, the crowd gave in to the silence. Many got up, their heads bowed, and walked out of the room. Cleru, Sugar, and Fluttershy just sat there, their minds refusing the evidence in front of them. Sanary continued to cry beside the lifeless boy. Raven got up, his own head bowed. There was nothing more that could be done…

The red-haired girl looked at Silver. She found herself unable to tear her eyes away. She cried endlessly, her tears falling down upon the boy's face. She curled into a ball, and wailed out. As she lost her breath, she felt a single tear run down her face once more. Then, something soft touched her cheek, brushing the droplet away.

Sanary slowly opened her eyes,, and found two deep pools of blue staring back. A smile was on the face of their owner, who also had removed the tear. The girl's eyes began to fill up once more, as she saw the one that was before her. It was Silver!

"I hope…you aren't crying…for me," he gasped. "That would… make me… very sad."

"…You idiot!" she sobbed, a smile on her face now. "How could you make us worry like that?"

"It wasn't by choice," Silver joked, wheezing as he spoke. "That last… attack… REALLY hurt!"

"OH SILVER!" Sanary cried, throwing her arms around him. "DON'T EVER DO THAT AGAIN!"

At the sound of his name, Cleru, Sugar, and Fluttershy looked up, as did Raven. They saw the brown-haired boy moving once more, and started to shout in joy, and happiness. The crowd that heard them turned back to see the drill user alive again, and began to whoop themselves. After a good minute, the entire audience was back, some shouting, others crying, and a few sending thank you prayers into the sky above.

"This isn't… possible," Sakuro whispered, watching the whole thing unfold before him. "He didn't respond to physical attempts, or magic, or anything! There is no way he should be alive…"

"…Master Sakuro," Raven spoke up, grabbing the Craftlord's attention. "…I'm going to forfeit this match. As it stands, we tied and are both without weapons. While the decision is ultimately yours, I'd like to say I submit my defeat."

"…"

"Silver, please never do something so reckless," Sanary whispered in his ear, still holding him in her death hug.

"I'll try," he gasped. "But if… you don't… release me… I'll die right now!"

"O-Oh," she blushed. "Sorry…"

"It's fine," he smiled at her.

"Ahem!" Sakuro cleared his throat, forcing everyone to be silent. "I've reached a new verdict, deciding this match and it's winner! Since both Craftknights lost their weapons, and have essentially tied, it should be a draw. But, due to a last second forfeit, the winner is Silver, of the Silver Guild!"

This message took a second to register with the audience. When it finally did, they roared their approval at the top of their lungs. Silver looked over at Raven, who simply smiled, stuffed his hands in his pockets, and walked off the arena. Forcing himself to his feet, the boy followed, Sanary right beside him.

"Raven!" the boy called out. "Where are you going?"

"…Back to the Guild," he answered. "I've broken my weapon, lost to someone of a rival Guild, and nearly killed that same person. I think it's time I resigned."

"Why?" Silver questioned. "There is nothing wrong with losing a weapon or a fight, and I'm still alive, so there is nothing to worry about."

"…Maybe," Raven grinned back at him. He turned towards the exit, his Guardian Beast close behind. "Heh, I'll see you around! We still have to talk!"

Watching them go, Silver knew this was not the last he'd seen of the red-haired boy from the Gold Guild. Turning around, he gave a warm smile to Sanary. She blushed lightly, and turned away. Even after all of that, there was still nothing she felt for him? Man, she is serious about being against relationships!

"Hey Sanary," Silver started, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Thanks."

"For what?" she asked, looking at him.

"…For actually caring," he answered, pulling her into a hug. "If not for you, I'd never gotten to where I am today. You helped me when we first met, and again when I went against Varil, and still when I fought Raven. I nearly died back there, but your voice called me back. I felt those tears you shed, and I pulled myself together… Seriously, I owe all of my success to you! I can't ever thank you enough…"

"Maybe you can," she smiled, blushing. "If you'll help me celebrate your victory."

"Don't you mean OUR victory?" Silver laughed.

Off to the right, hidden completely from view, was a woman in orange, with long blue hair. She had these dark red eyes, and twiddled with a few strands of hair as she smiled to herself. Though she couldn't see them, she could hear them as if she was beside the two.

"Ah, young love," the woman sighed. "Good for you Sanary… I'm happy that one of us has a chance still… Right… Shintetsu?"

I.I.I _Two Hours Later _I.I.I

Silver limped down the path leading to Central Tower. After leaving earlier, he and Sanary had went out with their friends to celebrate the win against Raven. Now, after everything had quieted down, the boy found himself in need of a walk. He left Fluttershy back at the room, letting her sleep some more. She had been so upset, and had nearly went into shock when Silver 'died'.

"…That was painful," the boy laughed, thinking back to that final strike. He remembered the blast of water hitting him in the face, followed by a severe shock to his entire body, forcing what he assumed was an entire bodily shutdown. "I hope I never feel that again!"

Finally, Silver made it to the side room he had been going for since he left his workshop about ten minutes ago. It was hard to get anywhere when you're forced to limp. Shaking these cluttered thoughts out of his head, the brown-haired boy began his walk into the Labyrinth. He didn't encounter a single slime or otherwise on his quick trip to the undersea observatory. Upon reaching it, he saw a familiar character wearing purple. He smiled, walking up to them.

"Hey Sanary," Silver spoke up. " Is it alright if I'm here tonight?"

"Sorry, I'm waiting on someone," she answered, keeping her gaze on the glass window.

"Oh yeah?"

"Sort of," she shrugged. "I'm waiting for the guy that helped save my career as a Craftknight."

"Oh yeah," Silver nodded, playing along. "I know him! I heard he had a friend, and she saved my life today, on multiple occasions!"

"Okay, you got me," Sanary laughed. She blushed as she continued. "…You look pretty good, considering what happened earlier today. I'm actually depressed…"

"Then stop being that way," the boy joked, taking a seat on the floor beside her. He placed a hand on her shoulder, but she shrugged it off, not smiling at what he said.

"I feel foolish, thinking about how limited my skills are…" she confessed, her eyes half open.

"Sanary, stop," Silver said sternly. "You're a great Craftknight, and an even better fighter. You're working as hard as you can, and doing nothing short of your best! Just have a bit of faith in your weapons, the ones you craft with your heart, not your hands!"

"Heheh, thanks," she giggled.

"…Sanary," the boy blushed. "Remember that question you asked me last time we were here? You know, when I beat that Spell Sword?"

"U-Uh yeah?" she nodded, starting to blush herself.

"Well…" Silver continued slowly. "What… Whatdoyouthinkofme?"

"E-Excuse me?" Sanary blinked. "You said that so fast, I didn't understand you."

"Um…" he tried once more. "What… do you… think of m-me?"

"…"

"Sorry, I shouldn't have asked that," he apologized, shaking his head. "Varil must've backhanded me so hard, I lost a chunk of my brain."

"It's fine," she blushed. "But uh, I don't think I can answer that question…"

"You don't have to," Silver smiled at her. He looked out into the deep blue sea that was held back by a single piece of glass. "But, I found an answer for you…"

To show what he meant, the brown-haired boy lifted up his tags, and separated the small sword from the other two. He held it in two fingers, letting the light reflect off it. Sanary watched him, and slowly pulled out her own necklace.

"Maybe I'm a fool, or just plain stupid," he continued. "But I know my heart, and what it wants most in this world. Originally, I thought it was to be a Craftlord. Up until recently, that was true… but now, I'm not so sure. Yesterday, I started to question myself, and today I started finding answers. I don't have them all, and what I do have is really small, but I understand them perfectly."

"…" Sanary remained silent, not sure what to think.

"After everything that's happened today, I don't care about being a Craftlord!" Silver told her, clutching the small necklace piece tightly. "I just want to live my life to the fullest! I could've died today, multiple times! If not for your help, I'd have lost to Varil, and then Raven… Sanary… I'm not the best when it comes to words. If I'm embarrassed to say something, I'll choke up, or lose control of myself. I'll usually blush so deep, you'd think I turned into a red radish, heheheh!… But not this time… Honestly, I feel confident in what I'm about to tell you."

"Please… don't," the girl whispered. "Just keep it to yourself…"

"I wish I could," the boy replied. "But I'd always regret it if I don't do it now… Sanary, I… I'm only human, and as such, I feel… certain things."

"Just stop!" she said, getting up. "Don't say another word!"

"…You get what I'm saying though," Silver whispered, blushing. He got up and walked towards the exit. "I understand how you might not like it, but it's the truth… I can't really call it that one word, but I know that what I'm feeling is something close to it. Just… Just think about it, okay?"

With that, the brown-haired boy walked off, leaving Sanary alone once more. She suppressed a sigh, and thought about what just happened. He might not have said the exact words she was expecting, but the effect was the same.

"I've thought about it," she whispered, knowing only she could hear the words. "And I don't know anymore… Maybe I should give it a try, but I'm… afraid. My sister… and Rumari… both of them, over a guy… I don't want to be weak! But…"

Turning around, she quickly headed straight for where the boy had traveled. She rounded the corner, expecting him to be walking up the stairs. Instead, he was nowhere! Sanary picked up the pace, and dashed out into Central Tower. She came outside, and saw Silver walking down the path, just a short distance ahead of her.

She was about to catch up with him, when she saw the boy stop at a bridge. He sat down on the ledge, his feet dangling just above the water. She decided to get closer and see what happens. As she did, the girl could just barely make out Silver's ramblings.

"I'm so stupid!" he cursed himself. "I can't seem to do anything right! Why do I ALWAYS set myself up for failure? First with the store, then Varil… Raven… and finally… Now she probably doesn't even want to talk to me anymore…"

"…"

"I don't blame her!" Silver continued, not realizing she could hear him. "I'd want to keep away from a loser like me too! I can't craft worth a lick of salt, my fighting skills are even worse, and like an idiot I just confessed to her! ARGH! I'm so stupid! Sanary is probably going to avoid me for the rest of our lives…"

"…Only… if you want me to," the girl whispered, coming over.

"S-Sanary!" the boy exclaimed. He was so caught off-guard, he fell into the water, making a large splash.

"Heheheheh, it is a nice night for a swim, isn't it," she giggled. She removed her sword, and slowly moved into the water as well. "…The water feels nice and cool, compared to the usual hot and stuffy workshops and stores."

"…You uh, didn't hear what I said, did you?" he asked, blushing.

"Yeah," she smiled, blushing herself. "Every word."

"I'm sorry," Silver apologized.

"For what?" Sanary asked.

"…For everything really." the boy answered, looking up at the stars forming in the night sky. "I've been nothing but a burden to you. I've said things that I shouldn't, putting too much pressure on you… Each time I do something wrong, you're the one that steps in and saves me… I'm pathetic as a Craftknight!"

"…When you put it like that, you really are," the girl said solemnly. She looked into his eyes, and smiled. "But if you just have a bit of faith in yourself, your crafts, and those around you, then you can be great! Today, we- not me, but WE- defeated Varil and Raven, two of the toughest apprentices from the Gold Guild! You and I fought to preserved the honor of all Craftknights, and then still managed to continue on in the tournament, even though we were battered, beaten senseless, and too exhausted to even move. You nearly died doing all of this… So please, don't say you're a bad Craftknight. It makes me sad when one of my closest friends think so little of themselves."

"C-Closest?" Silver stammered, blushing. "B-But we've only known each other for two days now…."

"And that means we can't already be good friends?" Sanary grinned. "Seriously Silver, you're really a close friend. Maybe one of the closest… but then again, I don't have many friends anyways. I usually try to keep away from people."

"I know how that feels," the boy nodded. "I tried to be like that once. It was back when I first learned about my parents, and how I'd never see them again. Some people tried to comfort me, saying things would be alright. I got so tired of their lies… I eventually tried to run away. I made it as far as the harbor, where I was gonna steal a boat and live in a random town where no one would know my name, who my father was… where I could finally be out from under his shadow."

"…"

"Before I finished prepping my little row boat, a girl stopped me," Silver continued, looking up at the sky again. "She asked me where I was going, and I said 'Far away! I'm gonna leave and never come back! I don't wanna live like this, with everyone lying to me!'… The girl just smiled at me, pulled me into a hug, and said the same words that all of those other adults said, 'Everything will be fine…' For some reason though, I believed her. I sat down, cried right in front of her, and just let everything go. After a good ten minutes, someone found us, and took me home. Amariss scolded me badly, and I never saw that girl again… I'll never for get her though. She had the kindest smile, and her hair was long and red… You kind of remind me of her, Sanary…"

"Heheheh, I should," she laughed. "…I…I was that girl."

"R-Really?" Silver asked, looking at her. "…Yeah, I see it now! Your smile is so beautiful… just like three years ago."

"…" Sanary blushed when he complimented her, but she kept her smile on.

"Thanks Sanary," the boy hugged her, making both of them a little uncomfortable. "I know… I know you said you're not into relationships… But maybe one day…"

"…Maybe," she promised, returning the hug.

"…I think we should get out of the water," Silver said after a few seconds. "If we got a cold before our next match, we'd be the laughingstock of the entire Guild."

"Heheheh yeah," Sanary laughed.

The two of them climbed out, with the boy helping the girl up onto the bridge. They slowly made their way back to the Guild hall, only stopping to take one last look at the stars. Then to catch him by surprise, Sanary wrapped herself around Silver's arm, holding him close.

"You really are one of my best friends Silver," she sighed, a deep blush on her face. "I only wish…"

"…Thanks Sanary," the boy smiled at her. "I… I…"

"Please don't say anymore," she stopped him, her eyes watering up slightly. "Just… be quiet and watch the stars with me."

"…Yes Miss Sanary," Silver joked, happy to do just that.

The two of them stayed that way for the rest of the night, not caring about what tomorrow might hold for them. As it stood now, Silver was finding himself in Heaven, and Sanary was right beside him too! There could not be a better way to end the night…

I.I.I Author's Note I.I.I

…**That was a LONG chapter! But it was OH SO FUN! I found myself nearly crying when I wrote the ending to the fight scene, and once more when I was doing the aftermath piece. It doesn't help that I was listening to the actual sad and peaceful music from the game, pulled off using an emulator. But what do you readers think? Was it good, or am I a bad author? **

**You know the drill. Read, review, and wait for the next post. I'll keep doing what I love, and upload it for all to see! Thanks for sticking with me this far!**

**Tory Mills/Silverwing Strong**


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